Why We Fight
by anneikenskywalker
Summary: The next installment of the Elijah/Elena saga following the events of "Some Things You Can't Go Back To". SPOILER ALERT! Elena has left Mystic Falls with Elijah to learn the right way to be a vampire-something she feels can't learn from Stefan or Damon. But, there is another reason she left with the original-she thinks she might have feelings for him. Road trip, anyone?
1. Chapter 1

"Elena…"

Elena whimpered, her eyes rolling beneath her eyelids as Elijah's voice pulled her slowly out of sleep.

"Elena…"

After a few moments, her chocolate irises finally opened and she turned where she was lying back in her seat to see him smiling sweetly at her.

She also noticed that the car had stopped on the side of the otherwise desolate and semi-dawn highway.

"Mmmm..where are we?" she asked, blinking, finding herself moving underneath his jacket—he must have thrown it over her when she fell asleep to keep her warm, "what time is it?"

"We're about an hour outside Mystic Falls—" Elijah reported as she tried to sit up and he took her elbow gently to help her.

Yikes_! Can you say electricity much! _

Elena closed her eyes to keep her sudden feelings from showing.

Was it always going to be like that when they touched?

Elijah must have felt the overwhelming connection himself because she noticed that he had immediately pulled back, a similar expression on his face.

"I—I'm sorry to wake you," Elijah said, trying to continue, ignoring how their connection had suddenly made him feel as well, "But I just realized that the sun will be up soon—"

"Oh, my God!" Elena exclaimed, pulling herself the rest of the way up and rubbing her eyes, somehow, suddenly processing that she was now a creature of the night, "I didn't realize—"

"Elena, _wait..._" Elijah said, holding up his hands, trying to get her to calm down, then continued in a calm voice, "That's why I woke you. I—well, I have something for you…"

Elena's eyes narrowed in curiosity as she stilled and watched Elijah lower his hands, then unfasten his seat belt and turn on his side in the seat, producing a small black box from his front blue jean pocket.

Elena continued to watch him intently as he removed the box lid and held it out to her across the dash between them.

"A daylight ring?" she asked in a stunned whisper as her eyes fell upon the ring. It held a ruby stone, set into a flat, gold, antique looking band, "How?—"

"Misha spelled it for me," Elijah interjected, their gaze now meeting, "After you told me about your decision to turn. I deduced with all the drama that was going on, it might be difficult for the Salvatores to have one made for you," then he smirked as he shrugged nervously, "I hope you like it—"

"It's _beautiful_, Elijah, really…" Elena said, then immediately, her eyes moved down to the ring again and hesitation suddenly entered her mind as she took in the idea of how old the ring looked…

"Wait…" she whispered as she suddenly realized whose ring it had once been. It seemed to be a sixth sense that told her, "No. I—_I couldn't_—"

As soon as he saw the expression on her face, Elijah sat forward, knowing immediately what she was thinking.

"Elena, it's _alright—"_ he tried to reassure her

"But, this was Liliya's ring?" Elena replied

"Yes—" Elijah confessed

Elena sat back in the seat, eying the ring sadly, "You can't give it to me, Elijah. I couldn't take it, it wouldn't be right… You gave it to _her."_

"Elena, Misha's been holding on to this for me in safe keeping for centuries," Elijah whispered, smirking with fond reverence at the ring, "When I told him I needed a daylight ring for you, he spelled this one. He thought it was a good idea… so did Liliya. When I talked to her, she said that the ring didn't deserve to be in its box forever. She said it would mean a lot to her for you to have it."

Elena took a measured breath as she looked from Liliya's ring, then back to Elijah, still considering.

"I know it would also mean a lot to me…" Elijah encouraged softly, his eyes moving back to her, "Please, Elena? Just for now…to protect you? And later on, if you decide you really can't wear it or if it doesn't fit, I'll take you to a jewelry store in the next town and you can pick out another and we'll find some voodoo priestess to spell it for us," he then brought his free hand to his chest, forming a criss-cross motion over the left side before holding it up in solemn oath, "Cross my heart."

Elena smirked at this and rolled her eyes before finally nodding her consent and shrugging his jacket from where it lay over her forearms, removed her right hand from underneath it.

Elijah smiled and carefully removed the ring from its box, then took her offered hand gently in his.

Elena closed her eyes at the contact.

Well, there was the answer to her question…There will _always_ be sparks between their skin.

She opened her eyes as she felt the coolness of the gold on her finger and watched Elijah slide it all the way on.

She had to say that it _was _beautiful…and wearing it felt…_familiar_, somehow…

And to her amazement, it fit her finger perfectly.

# # # # # #

"Shut the front door!" Rebekah laughed in disbelief, eying the still stunned Salvatore Brothers who now stood in the kitchen of the Mikaelson Mansion with Elena's note in hand.

They had caught Kol, Rebekah, Misha and Kaspar sitting around the kitchen table, partaking in hangover food after their little victory party.

"Well, this is an interesting turn of events…" Kol mused before scooping a spoonful of peanut butter out of the jar and handing the spoon to Kaspar, then scooping out a spoonful for himself.

"I should say so," Damon replied, "she just _left_ with him out of the blue."

"From what you said she wrote in the letter, she didn't seem to have a choice…" Misha said, now standing in front of the open pantry, popping the top off a tube of BBQ Pringles, "She wants to learn to be a vampire and she doesn't think she'll be able to learn what she needs to from you and Stefan."

"Oh! Those are Nik's favorite," Rebekah interrupted, looking over her shoulder and pointing to the chips in Misha's hand, "Eat the cheesy ones first."

"It also sounds like it's certainly_ not_ 'out of the blue'," Kaspar pointed out between licks on his spoon, "She seems to have thought about her decision carefully—made it _before_ she turned."

"You're not helping," Stefan said

"Yeah, what do you know about any of this?" Damon shot back at the warlock, "You've been in Mystic Falls for like ten seconds!"

"Oh, but I know the history...you forget that I was there a thousand years ago, my friend" Kaspar said, taking the Cheesy Pringles from Misha as the older warlock returned to the table, "And the history _doesn't lie_."

"Kaspar's right. You're both delusional if you think that this whole situation hasn't been building up to something like this," Kol added

"What do you mean?" Damon scoffed, eying the younger original

"Oh, _please…_" Rebekah rolled her eyes as she took her own spoonful of peanut butter from the jar, "He _means_ that surely Nik told you the story of the original Petrova doppelganger—"

"Yeah, when we had that uncomfortable dinner with him," Damon answered, turning to his brother at his side, "Tatia, right?"

"It was a lie," Stefan interjected, "Klaus tried to tell me the true story before Esther arrived. He thought I deserved to know what really happened since our relationship with Elena mirrored that of the triangle between him and Elijah and Liliya."

Damon raised an eyebrow, "Liliya? Who's Liliya?"

"The _real_ original Petrova doppleganger," Kol answered, "There _wasn't_ a feud-if that's what my diabolical brother told you. For Liliya, it was _always_ Elijah. They were once betrothed and he was completely in love with her. They were destined to be together-what the Nordic people called 'skrevet i stjernene' or couples 'written in the stars'. Today, I suppose you could call them soul-mates. Therefor, it's only natural that there is something between Elena and Elijah—a connection-where she would be drawn to him and him to her."

"That's why she was always so worried about him…why she kept asking for him…trusted him…" Damon realized, sighing in defeat

"And here I was worried she would run away with _you,_" Stefan smirked sadly, shooting Damon a look out of the corner of his eye

"And now you're both standing here with a 'Dear John' letter in your hands," Rebekah said, shaking her head in disbelief

"Don't you mean 'Dear Damon' letter?" Kol corrected with a smirk

"Oooh! Nice one!" Kaspar laughed, winking at Kol


	2. Chapter 2

"So… how's the weather in Mystic Falls?" Elijah asked, his phone pressed to his ear as he watched the short line of people in front of him move steadily.

Misha chuckled and shared a look with Kaspar, who now sat next to him on the bed in one of the guest bedrooms in the Mikaelson Mansion.

"Well, let's just say that it's been raining like a bitch since you and Elena left town," Misha replied into the speaker phone

"Yeah and 'Hurricane Salvatore' has already reared its ugly head," Kaspar added as he fell back onto the comforter, "Luckily, it was only at a category two, mostly from the initial shock of it all, but I'm sure it will pick up momentum eventually…" he turned his gaze to Misha, "so _that _should be fun."

Elijah furrowed his brow as he stepped forward along the sidewalk, following the line as it moved, "And what about the siblings?"

"Surprisingly, even in their drunken state, Kol and Bekah have been your meteorologists. They've been tracking, legitimizing and quieting the storm since you left. I think they've seen it coming for a while, Elijah, and they have your back. Now, I'm not sure what Nik is going to think of it all or if he even _knows_ since he's been out with the blonde for most of the night."

"He's going to think that I'm completely out of my gull for letting my thousand year-old still grieving heart cause me to leave with Elena, therefor jeopardizing the already unstable relations we have with the Salvatores and the other inhabitants of Mystic Falls," Elijah answered bluntly

"That sounds _eerily _like something he would say," Misha agreed in amazement

"Actually, just add a 'mate' in there somewhere," Kaspar pointed out, "And it's _exactly_ what he _would_ say!"

Misha laughed and smacked Kaspar playfully

"Don't worry, Elijah," Misha continued, "I'll talk to him when he gets back, try to smooth things over, alright?"

Elijah smirked then sighed, closing his eyes to steady himself.

"Do _you _think I'm crazy for doing this?" he suddenly asked in a low voice, directly addressing his best friend

There were a few moments of silence on the end of the phone as Misha composed himself and took Elijah off speaker, pulling the phone to his ear so that it was just him and the original talking.

"You know, Elijah, I didn't get to actually _meet _Elena last night, but when I saw her… I couldn't believe it," Misha said in a reverent tone, "Her resemblance to Liliya was startling—"

"But, she's _not_ Liliya," Elijah replied, looking over his shoulder, back to the parking lot and Elena still sleeping in the car, "She's Elena …and she is her own wonderful, beautiful entity."

"And that's _exactly_ it, Elijah," Misha emphasized then smiled, "You obviously care for _her –_the real her_—_and her well-being. And _not_ for the reasons everyone thinks—not just because of Liliya— and more so than you ever did for Katherine. You have grown to care for _her_ –Elena Gilbert. _That _is why you're doing what you're doing—why you took her away from all of this when she asked you to…And_ that_ is why I don't think what you're doing is crazy."

"Thanks, Misha," Elijah said softly, still eying Elena

"Call us later to let us know how it's going," the warlock replied

"Will do." Elijah said, turning back to face the line again, "Watch out for the siblings while I'm gone?"

"Will do," Misha replied, before cheerily adding, "Happy Road Trip!"

"Thanks," Elijah smiled

When he hung up the phone, Elijah realized that the woman ahead of him had stepped aside and he was next in line.

"So, what'll it be, Fabio?" the silver haired, apron clad, older man behind the calzone stand asked, his hands on the counter as he eyed Elijah's muscular frame up and down.

Elijah eyed the menu, then responded

"May I have two number threes, please?"

"You eatin' here with the peasants, Fabio, or are you hitting the road?" the older man smiled, clearly pleased with his little jab

"I'm hitting the road," Elijah smirked, playing along

"You got it," the older man answered automatically before shouting the order over his shoulder at the three people in the back.

He then turned back to the original and leaned across the counter, "You know, son, you probably shouldn't eat what you're about to with a white t-shirt on…" he teased in a low voice and winked, "just a little free advice."

"Thank You, I will take that under advisement," Elijah said, reaching into his jean pocket to remove his money clip as his phone started to vibrate, again.

He handed the man a twenty and when he received his change, Elijah stepped away from the counter and pulled his phone from his pocket to view the name on the caller ID.

"Lovely," he sighed before hitting the answer button.

Elijah looked down at his watch—it had only been three hours since they had left town—how had he found out so soon? So much for Misha talking to him first and smoothing things over.

"Hello, Niklaus," Elijah answered the phone

"Hello, Elijah…" Klaus said calmly, "So sorry to bother, but can I just ask you two questions?"

"Go right ahead..." Elijah replied, a little confused

"Is it true that you've left town with the lovely Elena Gilbert in tow?" Klaus asked

"Yes," Elijah answered, "She asked for my help in learning to be a vampire and she wanted to do it away from Mystic Falls and the Salvatore Brothers."

"I see…" Klaus responded, "Alright then, can I ask you my second question?"

"Yes."

There was a moment of silence before Klaus continued

"Are you _completely _out of your gull, mate?!" his brother suddenly cried on the other end of the line, more out of shock and exasperation than actual anger.

"Uh…sorry, brother, you're breaking up…" Elijah said quickly, immediately regretting picking up the phone. He pulled the phone away from his ear, waving it in his hand to create static, "_I can't hear you_!"

"Yes, you can!" he heard Klaus shout through the speaker

"It must be a tunnel or something!" Elijah cried, still waving the phone

"No it_ isn't_!" Klaus laughed, "Elijah, stop it!"

"Oh, dear God, there is an elephant in the road! I'll call you back later, Nik!"

"No, _you won't_!" Klaus shouted as Elijah immediately hung up.

"Here you go, Fabio!" the older man called through the small crowd, beckoning to Elijah as he sat the paper to-go bag on the end of the counter, "Two number threes…and I put extra napkins in there to protect your pretty white t-shirt."

"Thanks," Elijah said, eyeing his phone one last time before turning back to pick up the food.

"You know, I heard you just now," the older man pointed out, nodding to the phone in Elijah's hand as the original slipped it back into his pocket, "You got an annoying brother?"

Elijah smiled, stepping toward the counter, "Yes…yes, I do."

"Ahh…_brothers_—can't live with 'em, but you find you can't live without 'em, either…because they _won't let you! "_ the older man scoffed before jerking his head back over his shoulder toward another older man working behind him, "That one's _my_ brother. He followed me here all the way from Jersey and I still can't shake him. Been driving me crazy for _sixty-seven_ years!"

"Oh, shut your greasy pie hole, Mario!" the brother now shouted from where he stood near the oven in the back, waving his spatula menacingly

"I love you, too!" the older man screamed over his shoulder and the brother smiled as he flipped him off.

The older man turned back to Elijah and leaned forward on the counter.

"So how long has your brother been driving _you _crazy, son?" he asked in an empathetical tone

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Elijah smirked as he grabbed the food and headed back to the car.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of Elijah opening the door of the Mercedes lulled Elena out of sleep and she turned to watch him slide into the driver's seat with his bounty.

"Well, Good Morning…" he smiled at her and she smirked at his mock enthusiasm, "Welcome to Dodridge, Virginia, population….well, you and me and…" he turned and pointed out the windshield at the small crowd at the calzone stand, "_those _people."

Elena laughed softly as she watched Elijah set two cups of coffee in the cup holders and rummage through the paper bag on his lap.

"What's that smell?" she asked, sitting up in her seat and pulling his jacket off of her

"Breakfast calzones…"

"It smells like blood..."

"Well, they were made by the feuding brothers from Jersey...so_ maybe _some got in there when I wasn't looking-"

"_What_?" Elena asked, confused

"Never mind…" Elijah said, "It was a long night...you've been out for a while and seeing as you're still a newborn, _everything_ probably smells like blood. It won't be long before you'll be hungry."

"What time is it?" Elena asked, folding Elijah's jacket up in her lap then rubbing the sleep out of her left eye

Elijah turned his wrist to look at his watch.

"About 8:30," he answered as he offered her a calzone

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?" Elena asked, as she took the calzone in her hands and unwrapped it

"Trust me," Elijah said, unwrapping his own, "You didn't miss anything. Trees…a few cows …two stop lights—"

"Elijah!" Elena chuckled

"Well, it's _true_," Elijah insisted, digging in the bottom of the bag and pulling out the napkins, handing Elena one

"How come you're only like this with me?" Elena suddenly asked in soft voice, cocking her head to the side to study his face

"What do you mean?" Elijah shrugged, but deep down he knew exactly what she was asking

"You _know_…" Elena insisted with a smile, "Kind and funny and _human_…"

Elijah sighed, looking down at his calzone in his hand. He knew if he met her eyes in that moment, he might break.

"You once said that, from the first time we met, I've always been a person, not a vampire, to you," Elijah whispered, "maybe that's why…"

A few moments of silence fell between them as they both seemed to contemplate his words, before he suddenly turned in his seat to face Elena, their gaze meeting, and his face turning serious as he changed the subject.

"Lesson one in being a vampire," he stated, holding up his calzone, "Food."

Elena shifted in her seat and listened intently.

"Blood is essential to a vampire's diet. You find that it's what you'll live for, what you'll fight for—what you _kill _for, Elena. Bloodlust is just one of the many new and heightened senses you'll experience as a new vampire. It is a _constant_ need and you'll find that it is a feeling that can be intense, overwhelming and hard to control…but we'll get to that later. What you need to know is that human food can be an important ally in controlling your need for blood—a need that you're probably feeling right at this very moment—eating it on a regular basis will lessen the cravings. It will also serve other benefits by giving you a sense of normalcy and will often quiet the suspicions of those who believe you to be a vampire."

Elena eyed her calzone and swallowed.

She suddenly felt a burning at the back of her throat as she realized that Elijah was right—it wasn't for a calzone.

But, surely it was too early for her to have to feed again...

Just then, she heard a noise—a rushing sound filling her ears as she felt her senses open.

She smelled something besides the calzone...it_ was_ blood...and it was more overpowering than it had been when she'd first awoken.

It was close by.

She quickly turned and looked out her window to see a mother and her teenage daughter climbing into the car next to theirs—less than a foot away from her door.

Without thinking—without knowing what exactly she was doing—Elena reached for the door handle to the passenger side door of the Mercedes with vampire speed.

But, her hand was immediately stilled by Elijah.

"_Elena…_" he said sternly as Elena turned back to face him, breathing heavily.

What was wrong with her? What was this new feeling?

Her body suddenly felt like it was on fire—and not just from where Elijah was touching her skin, holding her hand in a death grip—there was an aching in her stomach and in her head…

Elijah swiftly put his calzone back in the back and reached for the passenger side visor mirror, flipping it down so that Elena could see her reflection.

"Look in the mirror," he said and her gaze automatically moved from him to herself in the small glass piece in the visor.

"Oh, my God…" she whispered as she took in the sight of her bloodlust—her eyes dark and her veins prominent, "what's happening to me?"

"It's alright…you're alright…" Elijah soothed as he flipped the visor back up and used the hand to gently grasp her chin, turning his face back toward him, "It's the bloodlust."

"But I've _never_—I mean, I vamped out before...last night...back at the mansion, but—_why isn't it going away_?" Elena asked, starting to panic slightly

"Bloodlust is harder to will away than any other emotion. You're new and probably starving after the energy you expelled last night," Elijah said, "Listen to me…There is _no shame_ in bloodlust, Elena. It's who we are…_what_ we are. It happens to _every_ vampire, whether you are a thousand years old or four hours old."

"I want to—"Elena said in a low voice, her head turning back toward the glass and the mother and daughter pulling away in the Jeep.

"I _know_, Elena…" Elijah interjected in a low voice, "But, listen to me…hear my voice…"

Elena closed her eyes, trying to calm herself as she turned back to face him, her vampire features still prominent.

"Look at me Elena…watch_ me_…" he said as her eyes opened again and he willed his own vampire features forward, "I want you to take slow, deep breaths and close off your sense of smell—"

"I _can't,_" Elena whimpered

"Yes, _you can…"_Elijah encouraged as he started inhaling breath methodically in between words, "breathe in through your mouth…and out…. like me, alright?"

Elena nodded and closed her eyes, starting to breathe with him

"That's it," he said, "Now focus on the memory of that girl getting into the car just now—"

"_What?"_ Elena asked, opening her still veined out eyes, "How is that supposed to help?"

"Just _trust me_, Elena," Elijah insisted

Elena narrowed her brow in confusion but closed her eyes again, willing herself to focus as Elijah continued.

"The girl in the car is now…your brother, Jeremy. Think of Jeremy..."

"Jeremy…" Elena whispered automatically and by the way she said it, Elijah could see that Elena had brought the image of her brother to her mind immediately.

"Keep breathing…focus on Jeremy…" Elijah said softly

"Jeremy…" Elena whispered again between breaths, "Jeremy…"

And Elijah watched her swallow back her blood thirst.

She was ready…

"Open your eyes," he said, himself still breathing along with her

She immediately obeyed

"Watch my face," he said as he took in a last deep breath and drawing his own memory, willed his vampire features away.

Elena kept breathing and gave it a try herself, but nothing happened

"It's okay...Just think of Jeremy... you don't want to harm him...you are going to pull back and push the bloodlust down and out of your body…" Elijah encouraged as Elena's eyes dilated, still focused on him, then blink rapidly as she continued to breathe.

Finally, after a few moments, it happened.

Elijah smiled as he watched Elena's eyes suddenly return to their normal color and the lines underneath them slowly fade, her fangs receding.

"Well done," he commended as he released his hold on her, his eyes still meeting hers

"I—I did it?" Elena gasped, stunned as she immediately brought her hands to her face to make sure her vampire features were truly gone.

"Yes, you did," Elijah said as he pulled the passenger side visor down again so that she could see her reflection.

She took it in for a few moments then sighed as she flipped it back up again and laid her head back on the seat.

"Alright…" Elijah said, taking in a breath as he reached back into the back for his calzone, "back to the lesson—"

"Thank you," Elena suddenly said, turning toward him with soft eyes

Elijah stopped and turned to her, meeting her gaze

"It's what I'm here for…" he smiled gently, then nodded toward the calzone still sitting in her lap, "Now, are you going to eat that?"

Elena smirked as she raised her head and looked down to her lap, taking the food into her hands once more.

"It _will_ help…" Elijah encouraged as he watched Elena suddenly examine the calzone intently

"Hmmm …is this properly cooked?" she stated, wrinkling her nose.

"I see I have a picky eater on my hands," Elijah smirked as he took a bite of his own calzone "You're worse than Kol…and I never thought that was possible."

"Do you think I'll be picky about blood too?" Elena asked before tentatively taking a bite of her breakfast calzone

"Well, most vampires like certain types of blood when they feed from blood bags, but when it's straight from the vein…beggars can't be choosers, unless you're a type-caster."

"A type-caster?"

"A vampire who looks for 'just blondes' or 'just men over fifty'—things like that. They think certain types of people taste better than others. It's juvenile really..."

"Are you a 'type-caster'?" Elena asked curiously

"No," Elijah shook his head as he took another bite, "But I have my standards. I only feed on humans when necessary and I _never_, under any circumstances, feed on children."

"So, what blood type do you like best?" Elena continued

"You're just _full_ of questions, aren't you?" Elijah smiled, wiping his face with a napkin

"I'm sorry. I'm just _really_ trying to focus on something other than all of those people outside the car right now…" Elena answered, her voice tinged with guilt, "And the _smell_, again."

Elijah took this in for a moment before turning toward his driver's side door

"Well, there is an easy solutions for that…" he deadpanned as he pushed the button to lock the doors to the Mercedes and turned on the child safety lock.

Elena laughed when she realized she was trapped

"You just have a solution for everything, don't you?" she finally said, coming down from her laughter

"I try." Elijah smiled, "Now what else did you want to ask? We don't want you lose focus, Miss Gilbert."

"Alright...since you successfully dodged the blood type question-"

"I didn't dodge anything, Elena," Elijah insisted, "If you wish to know, I like all kinds of blood. I grew up on a farm and was not raised a picky eater...unlike _some_ people."

He winked at her and handed her her cup of coffee.

"_Okay..."_ Elena rolled her eyes, then her face turned serious, "why did you have me think of Jeremy to make my bloodlust go away?"

"It's called a touchstone," Elijah said, taking a sip of his own coffee, "It was something Misha told me about, when I was a newly turned vampire, that helped me to control my bloodlust. Later, when it worked, I tried using it on my siblings to help them, too. It didn't work on Kol, but it did on Finn, Niklaus and Rebekah."

"And it sure worked on me..." Elena affirmed

"It's a simple mind trick-something you use to calm yourself in a moment of overwhelming emotion, like bloodlust, when you feel yourself losing control. It can be anything, usually an image or a memory or a song or a saying, just as long as it is something _so_ important to you that you can condition yourself to react to it when you feel like you are going over the edge. You see, when you call it to mind, it should invoke such strong feelings that it pulls you back because your brain is conditioned to know that if you take that extra step and act on your impulses, you will lose it forever."

Elena nodded in sudden understanding as Elijah continued

"There are probably many important people in your life, Elena, and memories or cultural references you could always fall back on, but in the heat of the moment, I just had you focus on Jeremy. He was the one thing-the one person- I knew was important enough to you that you would never risk hurting him or losing him. That made him the perfect touchstone."

Elena smiled, her mind trailing off in thought, "When I saw him, it was a memory of when we were children at the lake house...we were fishing..."

Elijah nodded with smirk, then took another bite of his calzone as Elena pulled herself from her thoughts and studied him.

When he didn't say anything else, Elena spoke up first

"So, may I ask what _your_ touchstone is?" she inquired

Elijah took in a breath as their gaze met.

"You may," he smiled, "but I think that you know the answer to that question already, Elena."


	4. Chapter 4

Elena's eyes saddened as she realized she _did _know what or rather, who, Elijah's touchstone was.

"Have you seen or heard from her since—"

Elijah finished the last bite of his calzone, then wadded up the wrapper in his hand

"No," he said in a low voice as he tossed the wrapper into the paper bag

Elena took this in for a moment, then sighed as she noticed the sadness in Elijah's eyes

"I'm sorry, Elijah…." she whispered

Elijah straightened in his seat as he shook his head, "Don't be. Liliya told me from the beginning that it would only last for a short time—that after this business with my Mother was over, I might not see her again."

"Still…I know what being able to see her meant to you…" Elena said as she leaned forward and took his hand from where it rested on his leg.

She immediately closed her eyes, again trying to ignore the electricity between their skin, and when she opened them, she saw Elijah's eyes immediately move to where her hand now intertwined in his.

"It's okay, Elena," Elijah soothed, tightening his grip on her hand with a small smile, "I may not get to see her again, but I know she's with me…"

For a moment, Elena thought that Elijah was going to say something about her looking like Liliya, but he didn't, she just watched as he brought their entwined hands to rest on his chest over his heart, "in here."

Elena smiled sympathetically as Elijah lowered their hands and now took a deep breath as he turned to face her.

"What do you say we get out of here?" he smirked

"Oh, Thank God!" she smiled appreciatively then turned to look out the windshield, "Because I'm running out of memories of Jeremy to stick on these people's faces to keep the bloodlust in check. I mean, if I had to put one on that big, burly guy by the soda machine out there…." she stopped and scoffed dramatically, shaking her head "I had_ nothing_."

Elijah laughed as he released her hand and shifted in his seat, pulling something out of the compartment at the bottom of the driver's side door before turning back to face her.

"I have a gift for you," he said, holding it out to her

"A world map?" Elena asked, confused as she took the small fold-out book into her hands

"Well, Elena, you _could_ say that this is my way of giving you the world," Elijah quipped as he removed the half-eaten calzone from her lap as she replaced it with the map, "You asked me along on this little road trip of yours, so I'm taking you _wherever_ you want. Pick somewhere—_anywhere _on this map—and we'll go there…right now."

"Elijah…" Elena mused in a stunned voice, her eyes widening in surprise as she studied the map, trying to wrap her mind around the gift he now offered her.

"So, where do you want to learn to be a vampire?" Elijah encouraged with a smile, "Paris, Rome, London, Canada? If you can't decide, you can always use my method and just cover your eyes, then drop a finger—"

"Elijah, I can't leave the country, let alone the state," Elena said sadly, in a soft voice, keeping the map closed in her lap, willing herself not to open it, "And I can't stay away longer than a week, not with Jeremy still at home and everything in such a state of flux after—"

"Of course," Elijah lamented, tossing the calzone bag in the backseat of the car and taking the map from her gently, "I understand."

"_I'm sorry_," Elena sighed, closing her eyes, clearly aware that he seemed a little disappointed. She knew she was. "You're so kind to want to do this for me and I appreciate it, I _do_—"

"It's fine, Elena_, really_," Elijah smiled, staring at the map in his hands, "And you're right. We can exactly run off right now—I –I should have put more thought into it before I spoke."

"If it's any consolation," Elena said in a low voice, meeting his gaze, "I _really_ wish we could."

"Me too," Elijah whispered, his eyes searching hers for a moment before he continued, "But, if you want to stay in the great state of Virginia, I know just the place for us to go. It's only about an hour from here."

"And what is this place exactly?" Elena asked, sitting back in her seat, intrigued as she watched Elijah put the map back into his door before pulling the keys out of his pocket and putting them in the ignition.

"My home," Elijah smirked as he put the car in gear

# # # # # # # #

"He hung up on me!" Klaus scoffed with a smirk as he sat back in the Adirondack chair on the back porch of the Salvatore mansion, "Can you believe that? After a thousand years, my brother _actually_ hung up on me!"

"I'm sure you've done worse to him back in the day," Damon smiled as he took a seat in the chair next to the original and across from Caroline, sipping at the glass of the blood in his hand.

Klaus chuckled as he brought his own glass of whiskey to his lips, "Yes, but this wasn't daggers and drunken brawls, it was just plain… _rude._"

"See this?" Stefan smirked from the chair next to Klaus, holding up his right hand and pressing his thumb and forefinger together, rubbing it back and forth, "This is me…playing the worlds tiniest violin for you."

Klaus rolled his eyes.

But, Damon just sat forward in the chair, his face turning more serious as he focused on Klaus

"Did he say anything about where they were or when they might come back?" Damon asked

"_If _they come back," Stefan muttered matter-of-factually

Damon turned to Stefan.

"Thank you, Captain Pessimism," he said, eying his brother incredulously, "That's _really_ helpful right now."

"I don't know," the original answered the older Salvatore brother truthfully and watched Damon sit back in his chair with a sigh, "You asked me to call him…and so I _did_. I _never_ promised that I could put the fear of God in him or make him turn around and come back to this pathetic little town _or_ get him to give up any information about their whereabouts, for that matter. Besides, Elena's letter said that she didn't want you two trying to find her. And I think, if that's what she wanted, you should keep your distance, mate."

"And is that what you want us to do, Klaus? Keep our distance?" Stefan suddenly asked, "You know, Rebekah and Kol hinted to us that they had seen it coming—Elena and Elijah. What about you, Klaus, did _you_ see it coming?"

"Honestly," Klaus said, turning toward the younger Salvatore, "I didn't."

"Well," Stefan said sternly, looking down into his own glass twirling on his knee, "I _don't believe_ you."

Damon straightened as he turned toward Stefan suddenly becoming aware of his brother's growing anger.

"Stefan…"

"You think I planned this?" Klaus asked, narrowing his eyes at Stefan

"If the diabolical shoe fits..." Stefan barked

"Whoa!" Damon cried, trying to intercede, "Back the 'diabolical' train up!"

"Elena left of her own free will, Stefan," Caroline quickly interjected, "No one _forced_ her-"

"They are originals and she's a vampire with no vervain in her system. She could have been compelled." Stefan replied in a low, angry, voice

"And why would I want to do that, Stefan?" Klaus asked, intrigued

"_You_ tell me," Stefan chided, "All you and your siblings have ever done since you arrived in Mystic Falls is use Elena for your own benefit. How do we know that this isn't any different?"

"You don't trust me..." Klaus said bluntly

"No. No, _I don't_," Stefan retorted

"Well, believe what you _want_…" Klaus scoffed as he set down his glass on the side table next to his chair, "If Elijah calls me back or I hear anything more, I'll have Caroline text you. You at least deserve to know that our little doppelganger is alive and well. Until then, you can continue working those gears in your little head, Stefan, trying to figure out my 'diabolical plan'. But, for now, I think this conversation is _over_."

Stefan smirked, refusing to fold his hand as he watched Klaus stand up, Caroline soon at his side.

"But, before I go," Klaus said, straightening his jacket, "I wish to have something returned to me. And, since I'm not invited inside your humble abode now that I'm inside my new body—"

"And it's going to stay that way," Stefan interjected, looking up from where he still sat, with a shrewd smile

"Could one of you be a peach and at least fetch me my bag? I would like my drawings, please. I left them in the parlor last night—"

"Not _drawings_," Stefan interjected, "You really just want Liliya's _drawing-_You mean the drawing you showed me when you made up that crap story to distract me, just as you and Elijah distracted Damon and I with the story of Tatia so that we would let Elena go because that is what was best for her? Uh...let me think..._No_. You don't deserve it."

Klaus cocked his head and smacked his lips as Caroline turned toward Stefan

"Seriously? What is your damage?" she whispered harshly

"My _damage_?" Stefan mocked, eying Caroline, "Are you so far under it that you can't see that after _everything_, he is still _Klaus_, the lying, murderous vampire fiend who destroys everything and everyone he touches? All the pain and misery he's brought to this town—"

"Stefan," Damon interjected in a low voice, "As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with Blondie on this one. What is your deal, bro? Is this about Elena? I know you're upset...I am too, but I think you're _cracking_—"

"Of course it's about Elena!" Stefan scoffed, "And it's about him using Liliya to blind side us and it's about Klaus knowing more than he's saying and lying to us like he_ always_ has—"

"And _I_ think that it's about _you _being a sore loser!" Klaus spat, immediately stepped forward angrily toward Stefan, but Caroline caught his chest with her arm, holding him back, "_I_ think it's about you still being angry with me for using _you_—for driving Elena away from you when you turned 'Ripper' again—and into the arms of your brother! _And _I think that it's about you coming up with accusations about me being behind this to comfort yourself because you can't admit to being blindsided when it wasn't your brother she ran off with, it was _mine_!"

Stefan's nostrils flared and he sat forward, ready to open his mouth to speak, but Klaus spoke first after taking a breath to calm himself, his eyes moving from one Salvatore Brother to the other.

"Now, to answer your question…When I came to this tragic one horse town a year ago, _yes,_ I immediately realized the similarities between you and Damon and myself and Elijah and our respective little love triangles with the Petrova doppelgangers. Did I know that Elena would fall in love with Elijah and leave town with him? _No_. I assumed that it would play out the same as it did a thousand years ago—"

"Wait? You think she's actually _in love_ with him?" Stefan asked in a mocking tone

"You read the letter, Stefan…" Damon added, then pointed to Klaus, "Hell, _he_ read the letter. We _all_ read the letter. She wrote it herself in her own writing that she wasn't just leaving town to learn to be a vampire. She wrote that she had feelings for Elijah—that she thinks she 'could love him'."

"Ah! But, it's not the same as being 'in love' with him," Stefan interjected pointedly

"He's lost it..." Caroline whispered, shaking her head

"I am a Stelena shipper as much as anyone, Stefan," Klaus said his eyes intense, "And it's clear what's happened here. You won Katerina, so you can't understand why you lost Elena. But, do yourself a favor and don't be so naive from now on, alright? You just end up being the one who gets hurt and throwing temper tantrums when things don't happen the way you want them to."

His voice then lowered, and Damon thought he saw a tear well in the original's eye, "Take it from someone who has played the game of love…_and lost_."

There was a moment of silence as all four vampire looked at each other.

Then Stefan closed his eyes, quelling his remaining anger before pushing himself up out of his chair and marching toward the back porch door, slamming it behind him as he went back into the house.

Damon soon followed, slowing rising from his chair, taking one last swig from his glass before handing it to Klaus.

"Wait here," he said, "I'll go get your drawings."


	5. Chapter 5

_**((Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is so short, but it came to me in a spurt today and after writing out what I had in my brain I was too emotionally exhausted to continue. But, I'm so glad you all are enjoying the story so far! Thank You for all your positive feedback and reviews! Elijah and Elena continues next chapter. I just couldn't leave Klaus and Caroline and Stefan and Damon alone after what happened in the last chapter))**_

"Well, that wasn't at all _awkward…_" Caroline mused as she slid into the driver's seat of her car and shut the door.

"Trust me, I've been through more awkward situations than _that_," Klaus smirked sadly as he shut his own door and reached for his seat belt, "I'm just sorry that it ruined our date."

Caroline sighed as she put the keys in the ignition, "Me too, I shouldn't have even answered the phone when Stefan called-it's just, I thought it was a major crisis or something... but it turns out he's just hurt and frustrated and wanted to take his anger out on someone."

"Well, I'm an excellent candidate considering my track record," Klaus said, resting his hands on the leather bag of drawings that now sat in his lap

Caroline closed her eyes and sighed, "Don't say that."

"Why?" Klaus replied, "It's true. Stefan's right. I've done nothing but hurt the people you love and use Elena since I came to this town. And just because we fought together against my Mother, doesn't mean that any of you should trust me now, least of all you. Hell, my own siblings don't even trust me…not that I blame them."

Caroline opened her eyes and pulled the keys from the ignition, turning off the car as she turned to face Klaus.

"But they love you," she said

"What?" Klaus asked, confused

"Your siblings," Caroline continued, "For over a thousand years, Rebekah stood by you, Elijah helped you and protected you, even Kol and Finn stayed with you for a time, am I right? Why would they do that after all the horrible things you supposedly did, unless, deep down inside, they still loved you through all of it."

"What is your point?" Klaus asked curiously

"You say I shouldn't trust you and maybe you're right…" Caroline whispered, leaning forward, her eyes now searching the original's, "But, I just want you to know, for future reference, that that doesn't mean I can't _love_ you."

# # # # # #

Damon smiled, taking a sip from his glass as he walked unannounced into his brother's bedroom, watching as Stefan flopped himself down on top of his bed.

"Well, that conversation you had with Klaus had all the tact of Nazi storm trooper," he quipped

"Someone had to say it," Stefan sighed, closing his eyes as he reached for the pillow above his head and threw it over his face, "And don't pretend you haven't been thinking the same thing since Elena left town with Elijah."

"Well, I _won't_ pretend… because I _haven't _been thinking the same thing_" _Damon retorted, taking a seat in the lounge chair in the corner of the room, "you got to this cracked delusion all on your own little brother. I'm just here for damage control-to help you get a hold of yourself before you completely 'Hulk Out' on us, because, if you ask me, that's where this morning is headed."

"Ugh…_Damon!_" Stefan cried through the pillow, then tossed it off his face and threw it hard at his brother as he sat up on the bed

"_Stefan,_" Damon chided back immediately as he swatted the pillow away with his free hand and watched it land on the floor at his feet, then took another swig from his glass.

Stefan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

He just flared his nostrils and rubbed is hands angrily over his blue jean clad thighs.

"You know what I have been thinking," Damon suddenly said, standing up from his seat, "As much as this tastes like arsenic coming out of my mouth…_I think_ Klaus is right. _I think_ that you are taking this all too hard—that your feelings are magnified by the fact that you are still coming down off the human blood and that Elena's leaving town was the straw that broke the camel's back. Face it-you are hurt, Stefan, and you don't know what to do and your only defense mechanism is to lash out and blame someone—"

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry that I don't compartmentalize my feelings and then explode later like _some _people!" Stefan shot back

Damon narrowed his eyes at his brother and for the next few moments they stared at each other in silence.

"You're _right_, I'm the time bomb and you're the bleeding heart," Damon said finally, his eyes locking with his brother as he took another sip from his tumbler, "It's always been that way and it probably always will be. But, you know, after I found that note in Elena's room last night, I thought that perhaps, just_ this once_, that we could be there for each other... like real _brothers_. We never got to do that before…and I thought just for a _moment_…." Damon's lip trembled as he trailed off in thought, then pulled himself together and straightened his posture as he continued, "But, instead, you've let your anger and your grief, blind you. And instead of going to a place of forgiveness, you go to a place of rage—"

"And just who are you to be giving advice on 'forgiveness' and 'rage'?" Stefan mocked

"Touche. But I'm not the one teetering on the edge here, Stefan, _you are," _Damon insisted, "I told you once that I am _here_ for you, Stefan, and that I will be there to pull you back from the edge when you go too far. Well, that is what I am doing _right now..."  
_

Damon reached out and touched Stefan's shoulder with his free hand, his eyes meeting his brother's head on._  
_

"You're becoming the 'Ripper' again, Stefan. Only this time, it's not my fault and it's not Klaus'...you're making _yourself_ that way."

Stefan's mouth suddenly dropped open as Damon released his shoulder and downed the rest of his tumbler with sad eyes, before turning and walking out through the bedroom door.


	6. Chapter 6

Elena stared in awe through the windshield as they drove through the small, picturesque, coastal town.

"Exactly how long have you lived here?" Elena asked curiously

"I've had an estate here since the early 1700s," Elijah replied as he brought the car to a stop at the one stoplight in the center of town, "After what transpired with Katerina in London, 1492, Niklaus and I grew…_estranged._ I wandered from place to place for over two centuries before I finally returned to England, hoping to find him again, but by then he and Rebekah and moved on. At the time, the English government was leading several expeditions to the 'New World', as they called it, and were asking for able bodied men to sail with them," he turned to Elena and smiled, "It was then that I decided that it was time to return home."

"So is your _estate,_ in town?" Elena asked, with a raised eyebrow, "If it is, I find it hard to imagine that it would fit in such a small hamlet."

Elijah smirked, putting the car in gear as the light turned green, "It's no longer an estate, really. Most of the land has been sold off over the centuries. All that's left now is the house and the surrounding wooded area that's been designated as a wildlife sanctuary. It's about fifteen minutes outside of town on the ocean."

"Why so far? Not one for crowds?" Elena asked playfully as she watched the early risers in town walking the streets in the morning sun, starting their day.

Elijah smiled, "People here are friendly enough, but my ancestors were Nordic, so I feel more at home near the sea."

As they drove across the boundary and headed out of town, Elena took in the light as it danced in the trees of the desolate wooded area that surrounded the country road they now found themselves on. And, as they passed over the first hill, she smiled as she caught a glimpse of the ocean Elijah spoke of.

"So, how exactly have you managed to live on and off in this town for over three centuries without people catching on to what you are?"

"Well, there are two more towns on the isle just east of here," Elijah pointed out, "So I've divided my time between the three towns whenever I return, every century 'arriving' in a new town and claiming to be the grandson or the nephew of the previous owner—always getting the 'what a remarkable family resemblance' response from the next generation. It's a bit exhausting really, but I found out early on that if I _don't_ go into town for something—even just a Snickers bar—and interact with people, they tend to get suspicious and you gain the reputation as the town recluse. It's _not_ pretty."

Elena smiled, "_You_ eat Snickers bars?"

"Surprised?" Elijah teased, raising an eyebrow

"Yes." Elena confessed

A few moments later, Elijah turned the Mercedes in through an open iron gate with Federalist-style brick pylons flanking the long driveway that would lead them to the large, three story brick mansion Elena could now see sitting up on the rolling green hills overlooking the ocean.

Elena took in a breath. The house was something straight out of _Gone With The Wind._

"It looks like a plantation…" she said softly

"It was," Elijah replied, "At least until after the Civil War. We grew tobacco mostly. I employed only free men-never much cared for the idea of slavery. Apparently, while I was away for long periods, Misha used it as a stop for runaways on the Underground Railroad."

As Elijah pulled the car around the circle at the head of the driveway, the front door to the mansion suddenly opened and a beautiful, but plump, African-American woman with graying hair stepped out onto the portico and waved at them.

"Friend of yours?" Elena smiled, raising a curious eyebrow

"Yes..." Elijah replied as he put the car in park, "And my housekeeper,"

"_Really?"_ Elena asked, surprised

"Yes," Elijah smiled, then quickly leaned in toward Elena and whispered, "Watch out…she's a _hugger._"

Elena chuckled, unbuckling her seat belt as she watched Elijah open his door and climb out

"Bonjour, Vivienne!" Elijah called, putting on his sunglasses as he walked up the driveway toward the older woman.

"Bonjour, Monsieur Elijah!" Vivienne smiled, as she came down the steps and met him, wrapping her sweater tighter around herself.

"Nous vous remercions de l'ouverture de la maison sur un délai aussi court," Elijah said kindly in French as he kissed her on one cheek, then the other, "Je l'apprécie."

"Mon plaisir. Bienvenue à la maison, Sir, Il fait tellement longtemps," Vivienne said, before she stepped back and took Elijah's chin in her hand, musing in her thick French accent, "Ahh... still _so_ handsome. It should be a crime, I tell you...a _crime!_"

Elijah smirked as Viviene released his face and raised a curious eyebrow, "Your siblings are not with you on this visit?"

"No, not this time," Elijah replied

"_Oooh…_am I sad or not sad?" Vivienne smirked, playfully

"I think you're not _surprised,_" Elijah retorted with a small smile and watched Vivienne touch a finger to her nose and point at Elijah with a chuckle.

Elijah then turned to Elena as he sensed her approaching from behind, removing his sunglasses as he took her arm and brought her forward, "Elena, may introduce Vivienne Blanchard. Vivienne, this is my friend, Elena Gilbert."

"It's nice to meet you," Elena managed to say before she suddenly found herself engulfed in the large woman's arms as she stepped forward and hugged her.

"Bonjour," Vivienne smiled broadly as she pulled away from the still shocked girl

Elena looked over to Elijah and saw him desperately trying to hold back his laughter as he watched her reaction.

"Well," Vivienne said after a few moments, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call. I'll return on Thursday. Oh, and..."

She gave a quick glance to Elena before leaning into Elijah, speaking French in a low voice, "le sort de protection que vous avez demandé, est en hausse."

"Thank you," Elijah said when she pulled away and dropped the key to the house into his hand.

She then winked at Elena before setting off across the lawn toward the back of the house.

Elijah immediately took Elena's hand in his, placing the key in her palm.

"I'll get the luggage out of the car. Go have a look around," he smiled

Elena looked down to the key in her hand, then up at the mansion looming in front of her.

# # # # # #

Elena slowly opened the two large, mural painted wooden front doors, taking in a breath of anticipation.

Elijah's _house_…

Elijah _has a house_...

It was amazing and comical and surreal all at once.

And it was an adventure... just like Elijah himself.

Suddenly, Elena found that she wanted to know everything about it, just like she had wanted to know everything about him.

The sunlight followed her inside, illuminating the main entry that was seemingly encased in marble—a marble front hall and a marble staircase that wound up three stories.

Elena turned in a circle as she walked down the hall littered with centuries worth of old paintings, clocks and other treasures, and quickly took in glimpses of a dining room, a ballroom with walk-through windows and a wedding cake chandelier, two parlors, a picture bay window with an astonishing view of the ocean and a library with wall to ceiling walnut bookcases.

As she wandered into the library, she ran her hand along one of the bookcases, surveying the collection, then crossed the center of the room and made her way over to a sofa table standing along the edge of the room near a roll away desk.

Elena narrowed her eyes as she scanned the photographs upon the table, smirking at Elijah through the centuries— sitting at a nightclub table with Kol smoking a cigarette in the early 1900s—with Misha, leaning on the hood of a roadster in front of a brick house Elena didn't recognize sometime in the 1950s—sitting with Rebekah and Klaus in a formal portrait in the late 1800s—standing with Klaus and a group of men outside a building sometime in the early 1800s with a street sign in the background identifying that they were on Bourbon Street in New Orleans—and finally, a three set frame of Elijah and a young black woman standing on the front lawn, of the house she was now standing in, in three different centuries…

Elena smiled in awe as she realized that the young woman standing with Elijah in the three portraits-a painting in the 1700s and photographs in both the 1800s and 1960s—was Vivienne.

"She's been a loyal friend…" Elijah said as he came up behind her, smirking over her shoulder at the picture Elena was looking at, "And she's kept both my house and _me_ in line for a very long time."

Elena looked over her shoulder and raised a curious eyebrow, "How can she be in all three of these? Is she a vampire?"

"She's a witch," Elijah replied, taking the frame in his hand gently, "Her family has been bound to serve Klaus since the French Revolution, but he's always been careless with the witches and warlocks he binds. She fell out of favor with him and came to work for me in the late 1600's and has been with me ever since. She runs the household and has helped me locate witches and warlocks for odd jobs over the centuries. It's been nice to have her around-less lonely. She's been like my nagging sister and my smothering, protective mother all rolled into one."

Elena chuckled at the comment, then asked, "But she's immortal?"

"Not exactly, " Elijah said, "Like my friend, Misha, she has been able to slow down the aging process by using magics and natural herbs, but ...

There was a moment's pause as Elijah put down the frame set and sighed

"What is it?" Elena asked, putting a hand on his arm when she notice his face drop

"Forty years ago, she told me that she was no longer going to make her elixir," Elijah said softly, "that she had decided to let herself start aging again—that she's ready to finally let go and die a natural death."

"I'm sorry…" Elena whispered, casting her eyes again at the photographs in the frame

"I'm not…" Elijah straightened, a small smile crossing his face, "It's her life-It's her choice. Deep down, _I am_ happy for her and maybe—maybe even a little jealous."

"Jealous of _dying_?" Elena inquired

Elijah nodded, "When you've lived for as long as I have, Elena, you start to miss being human. And dying…is as human as it gets."


	7. Chapter 7

_**((Hello, Everyone! Got inspired for Valentine's Day! Short Klaroline moment, but mostly Elejah! Enjoy!:) And don't have a heart attack. ))**_

The door to the Mikaelson Mansion opened and Klaus stepped across the threshold, tossing his bag onto a nearby chair in the hallway, before stepping aside and holding the door open for Caroline.

She looked around as she entered, then turned back to Klaus as he closed the door behind them.

"Where is everyone?" Caroline asked, following Klaus as he started walking down the hallway

"Probably getting some much-deserved shut eye," Klaus said as he stepped down into the adjoining parlor, then Caroline watched as Klaus leaned down and picked up the empty scotch bottle on the floor at his feet.

"Ahh….and I see my siblings raided my stash…" he smiled as his eyes moved to the coffee table and the collection of more empty bottles, "_All_ of it."

"Saving it for a special occasion?" Caroline asked playfully as she surveyed the room herself then bent down as a piece of paper on the floor nearby caught her eye.

"Maybe," Klaus replied with a smirk as he set the scotch bottle down next to the others, then watched her take the paper in her hands, "But now, you'll never know."

She studied ignored his comment and studied the paper for a moment before turning it out to show Klaus.

"'Jesus Christ'?" she chuckled with a raised eyebrow

"Oh, my God!" Klaus laughed as he quickly stepped forward and took the paper in his hand, "I can't believe they played without me! This used to be my favorite game. You see, each player chooses a famous person and writes it on a piece of paper, then you shuffle the stack and each player takes one. You lick the paper and stick it to your forehead then all the players take turns trying to guess who they are. We finally banned Elijah from playing sometime in the 1500's because he kept winning all the time."

"Well, he _is_ the smartest in your family," Caroline winked playfully

"Debatable." Klaus smiled as he tossed the paper over his shoulder and stepped closer to her

There was a moment of silence as they searched eachother's eyes and Klaus took her hand gently.

"I'm suddenly finding myself _incredibly hungry,_" he said in a low seductive voice, entwining her fingers in his, "I could make us some breakfast, if you like. I _can_ cook, you know…it's one of my hidden talents… or is your Mother expecting you at home?"

"No," Caroline replied automatically, "She thinks I left town…."

Suddenly, she felt her heart flutter as she trailed off, but she realized it wasn't because Klaus was holding her hand.

She immediately felt emotionally overwhelmed when she also realized that she hadn't finished her sentence and mention _his _name.

Klaus sighed and stepped back, studying her with sad eyes, seemingly knowing exactly what she wasn't saying.

"She thinks you left town with _Tyler,_" he finished for her

Caroline couldn't speak, she could only nod, her grief immediately resurfacing.

She had forgotten about it in the midst of Klaus' return and Elena in transition and the fight with Esther...

Tears immediately filled her eyes, seemingly against her will.

_Tyler…_

She thought she had put that to rest.

They had had their goodbye, their kiss…but it still hurt.

She turned away, trying to pull herself from Klaus' grasp, but found that he kept a tight grip with one hand as he stroked her face with the other, trying to make her look at him.

"Caroline," he said softly

"I'm sorry…" she whimpered, still trying to move away

"No, _I'm _sorry…" he said, trying to meet her eyes, "I was just so happy you came back to me—I should have considered that you haven't had time to deal with Tyler's passing. Forgive me."

"I don't know what's wrong with me…" Caroline mumbled, wiping her eyes as if she hadn't heard him

"You l_oved_ him," Klaus said matter-of-factually, pulling her to him again, "You loved him and he _died_, Caroline. It's alright to feel this way…"

"No. No, _not_ now…and _not_ with you…" she whispered, looking down at her feet

"Why? Because he died in my stead?" Klaus asked, his voice lowering in shame

"_No_." Caroline insisted, looking up to him now, "Because I think I'm falling in love with _you_… and you shouldn't have to see me like this—crying over my dead boyfriend."

Klaus took in a breath and leaned closer to her, taking her face in his hands, and forcing her to meet his gaze head on.

"Love, you can cry over _anything _with me…" Klaus whispered, "Even dead boyfriends."

Caroline smiled sadly at his words, then her face crumbled and she finally let him take her into his embrace, falling against his chest as he held her head, stroking her hair gently as she sobbed.

# # # # # #

"I thought you might like this one," Elijah said as he opened the bedroom door and stepped aside as Elena walked in, "It has the best view."

Elena looked around, her eyes taking in the antique furnished room, with its vaulted ceilings and violet colored walls with a Mother of Pearl border, for a moment before walking toward the large picture window that looked out over the side lawn and the ocean.

She turned back to Elijah, still standing in the doorway.

"It's perfect," she said

Elijah stepped through the threshold, gently placing her bag on the wooden hope chest at the end of the canopy bed.

"How do you know for sure until you test out the bed?" he asked with a smirk

Elena smiled, then with three bounding leaps, launched herself onto the bed, closing her eyes as she felt the softness of white comforter under her hands and arms and the springiness of the bed.

It _was_ perfect.

She could see herself getting a really good night's sleep on this mattress.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Elijah standing at the end of the bed, studying her with soft eyes.

"Wanna try it?" she smirked as she sat up on her elbows and pulled one of the large fluffy pillows to her chest, hugging the softness.

"No, Thank You," Elijah chuckled, holding up a hand, "I picked the mattresses in all five rooms myself…I know how comfortable they are."

"You have excellent taste," Elena commended, falling back again and taking in a sigh, "I think this room _will_ perfect."

"I'm glad," Elijah said, shoving his hands in his pockets and crossing the room, "So…there is blood in the refrigerator downstairs in the kitchen—you should probably feed again, soon," he stopped next to one of the two other doors in the bedroom besides the entrance and pushed it open, turning on the light, "and this is your bathroom. I imagine you will probably want to freshen up after the trip and change your clothes from last night."

"Is that a Whirlpool tub in there?" Elena asked in amazement, turning on her side and taking in the features of the bathroom from where she lay on the bed.

Elijah nodded and stepped back from the door.

"Why…yes it is." he smiled

"Then this room _is_ perfect." Elena sighed happily, falling back on the pillows again

"Well, my room is the last one on the right, just down the hall, if you need anything. I'm going to go change myself. See you in an hour or so?"

Elena nodded with a smile, "Thanks."

Elijah moved toward the bedroom door and crossed the threshold.

"Enjoy the room," he winked back at her, then closed the door behind him.

# # # # # # #

Elena was pretty sure she had never taken a longer bath in her entire life.

But, the tub was _so glorious_…

However, she hated the idea the Elijah might be waiting for her.

After all, it was still morning and they could accomplish a lesson or two in being a vampire before lunch time.

That's why they were here after all.

When she was dressed, Elena stepped in front of the large rosewood vanity, taking in her reflection in the mirror.

She brushed her hair slowly and put her jewelry back on, then sat on the bed and slid on her sneakers before grabbing a sweater from her overnight bag and throwing it over her shoulders.

Walking out into the hallway, she turned and started toward Elijah's room.

When she reached it, she knocked, but there was no answer.

Elena gently pushed the door open and looked inside.

"Elijah?" she called

No answer.

Not wishing to pry in his room, she closed the door again and made her way back down the hallway to the main staircase and headed downstairs.

"Elijah?" she called when she reached the bottom landing, looking casually into a couple of rooms on the first floor.

No answer.

Narrowing her eyebrows, Elena walked down the hall toward the kitchen.

It was empty, too.

Circling the island, she made her way to the large fridge and pulled open the left side.

Human food.

Frowning, she closed it gently and pulled opened the right side.

Jackpot.

Hundreds of blood bags of all different types now lay neatly stacked in front of Elena—there were even blood bags in the shelves of the door.

Not being a blood connoisseur as of yet, Elena randomly selected a bag and pulled the top, bringing it to her lips as she closed the refrigerator door.

As she leaned back against the counter and fed, she realized that Elijah had been right.

The blood tasted different than the blood bag she had had at the Salvatore Mansion the night she had turned.

The types _did_ taste different.

The one she had had from the Salvatore freezer had been better, not that this one was exactly _horrible_.

If only she could remember the type she had had that night.

She finished the blood bag and tossed its empty shell in the nearby trash can, but then decided that she wasn't exactly full.

Sighing, she returned to the refrigerator and selected another bag.

And as she brought it to her lips, her eyes immediately rolled back in her head.

_Oh, My God_…she thought as the blood washed down her throat.

She released the bag as she felt her face change and fangs extend at the overwhelming sensation.

This blood tasted like heaven.

She turned the bag and looked down at the type listed on the front—Type O.

She would remember that for future reference.

As she brought the blood bag back to her lips and continued to feed, she crossed the kitchen to the French doors that led out onto the back veranda.

It was then, as she looked across the back lawn, that she saw Elijah.

Elena sucked down the rest of the blood bag and felt her features recede as she took him in, standing near the edge of the tree line to what Elena assumed was the wild life sanctuary he had spoken of in the car earlier.

Elena tossed the blood bag over her shoulder toward the trash can from where she was standing, then smiled to herself when she saw that she had made it from so far away.

# # # # # #

Elena pulled her sweater tighter around herself as she closed the French doors behind her and crossed the painted Victorian-era veranda, before descending down the steps to cross the back lawn.

As she approached the original vampire, she realized that he still hadn't moved from the position he had been standing in when she first saw him from the kitchen—his back was to her and he was facing the woods, his feet shoulder length apart and his posture straight and square with his arms at rest at his sides, his palms downward toward the earth.

He had changed his clothes since they had parted, abandoning the more casual look of the white t-shirt and jeans for a blue dress shirt with rolled up sleeves and black dress pants.

Elena couldn't help but smirk.

This was more like the Elijah she knew...the classy dresser.

As she came within a few feet of him, she finally saw him move.

He raised his hands slowly up to his chest then brought them back out, his breathing slow and deliberate as he turned to his side, bending his knees and pushing his hands away from himself.

Elena saw that his eyes were closed and his face placid and not wishing to sneak up on him or distract him from whatever it was that he was doing, she stopped dead in her tracks and just watched silently.

After a few moments, he straightened his posture and pulled his arms back to his chest, then up and back down toward the earth.

"Hello, Elena," he said, then opened his eyes as he turned to face her.

"How did you-?" Elena started, stunned

"How did I know you were standing there?" Elijah smirked as he stepped toward her, looking her up and down, "I'm a special vampire, remember."

"_Elijah_…" Elena chided with a chuckle

"Alright," Elijah lamented, "I felt the disturbance in the earth while I was meditating. And since there probably isn't another person for a good ten miles in every direction, I knew it had to be you."

Elena thought for a moment, then smirked.

"I think I like the 'special vampire' explanation better," she said

Elijah laughed as he took another step closer, "So, did you like the bathtub?"

"Oh, yes," Elena replied with a content sigh, "It was heaven. I didn't want to get out."

"Well, I feel honored that you extricated yourself away to spend time with me," Elijah smiled, "Have you fed?"

"Yes," Elena confirmed

"Excellent," Elijah said, coming to her side, "Then would you like to resume your lessons?"

Elena nodded

"Alright," he said, "Lesson Two was controlling bloodlust, so... Lesson Three—movement and senses."

Elena turned and studied him intently as he spoke.

"Everything is heightened when you are a vampire," Elijah said, circling her, "You've already experienced bloodlust—but, that's only one part of what your body is capable of experiencing."

He stopped in front of her, holding up the fingers on his right hand as he listed them one by one.

"There is sight—your vision will always be better than 20/20…night and day. There is hearing—you can hear everything long and short distance and even through electronics—metals like coins can help enhance voices and sound through buildings. I'll show you that trick later. There is smell—you can track anything and smell blood from miles away. That will take longest to adjust to and will take time and discipline to master and control. And there is touch—"

"Wait," Elena said automatically, "What do you mean exactly by 'touch'?"

Her mind immediately moved to the times Elijah touched her since she became a vampire. Was that her heightened senses or was it their connection? She suddenly found herself needing to know.

"I _mean_," Elijah said, moving to stand behind her, "that you will feel everything—heat, cold, rain, even the wind blowing against your skin... and feel it like you never did before."

"What about…you know, touching… other people, other vampires?" Elena asked softly, looking back over her shoulder to him

Elijah cocked his head curiously at her then smirked, "I don't understand..."

"Touch me." Elena insisted, taking off her sweater to reveal her tank top, exposing the skin of her neck, shoulders and arms to Elijah.

Then she closed her eyes as she faced forward again and braced herself

"_What?"_ Elijah asked, studying her

"Just humor me, Please?" Elena said

A few silent moments passed, then she felt it…

Elijah's hand brushed down her right arm and her breath caught, her eyes closing tighter as her senses opened and she felt her skin tingle and a fire arise in her stomach.

Caught in the moment, Elena felt her head fall back on Elijah's shoulder and his left arm instinctively wrap around her waist to hold her and keep her steady.

Elena opened her eyes as she felt Elijah's hand still on her arm at her elbow, grasping it gently.

When she heard his breath hitch next to her neck, she knew she had made her point.

"Have you felt this _every time_ I've touched you since you became a vampire?" he asked in a low voice

Elena nodded, "Yes. Haven't you felt it, too?"

Elijah didn't answer, but by the way he was still breathing, slow and unsteady, Elena sensed that he had experienced everything she had, he just either didn't know what to say or didn't want to admit it to himself or her.

"I'm sorry," Elijah said, slowly removing his hand from her waist and arm, stepping back and helping her straighten to her original position.

Elena immediately turned around to face him.

"I'm not," she confessed, her eyes meeting his

They studied each other for a moment before Elijah spoke

"I've never felt anything like that before," he said in a low voice, still seemingly stunned, "Not with a vampire _or_ a human. All I can think of is that it's some sort of physical manifestation of the connection we had before."

"What exactly does it feel like to you?" Elena asked, swallowing, "Because, for me, it feels like my skin is alive—dancing and tingling-and I feel this fire inside me that I never want to go out."

Elijah narrowed his eyes for a moment, taking in what she said before he took a measured step closer and Elena watched in anticipation as he slowly raised his right hand to the side of her face, his face reflecting a mixture of both fear and something that looked like uncontrollable need.

When his fingers connected gently with her left cheek, Elena tensed and closed her eyes, feeling the sensations wash over her once more.

Soon, she finally willed herself to open her eyes and she saw that Elijah's face was now inches from hers, his vampire features prominent as both pleasure and pain crossed his face.

Finally, he pulled his hand away and his features receded, his dark eyes still boring into hers intently.

Elena took in a breath when the connection broke and Elijah did the same.

"_Well?_" Elena asked in a low, unsteady voice

After a moment of silence, Elijah responded

"I don't exactly know how to explain it," he said with a small smile, "All I know is that it…it feels like home."


	8. Chapter 8

They stood there, their eyes still connecting in silence, both absorbing Elijah's last words and both still seemingly stunned by them.

Finally, Elena took in a breath, breaking the stalemate as she took a tentative step toward him.

But, upon seeing her move, Elijah immediately broke eye contact as if shaking himself seemingly out of a trance.

"I need pie," Elijah said quickly in a resolute voice, his eyes narrowing

Elena stopped in her tracks, perplexed.

"You ne—what? _Pie_?"

"Pie…" Elijah said absentmindedly then took a step back before quickly turning on his heel and heading back up the lawn toward the house.

"Umm…_okay…"_ Elena said, pulling her sweater back over her shoulders, her eyes reflecting the confusion in her voice as she watched him go.

# # # # # # #

Caroline wiped under her eyes and wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders, sitting up on Klaus' bed as she now watched him gently push open the door to his bedroom.

"How are we feeling?" he asked in a kind voice as he came through the threshold, balancing a plate on his forearm

"I'm okay…" Caroline smiled weakly then cocked an eyebrow as she pointed to the plate, "Is—is that _pie_?"

"Why, yes, it is," Klaus smirked, holding out the plate to her, then pulling a fork from his back pocket before taking a seat on the bed next to her, "Its cherry with vanilla ice cream. I hope you like cherry. It's all we had in the house….Elijah's doing."

"I love cherry, Thank You," Caroline sighed, taking the pie plate and fork in her hand, "But, what exactly do you mean by 'Elijah's doing'?"

"Well, Elijah says there is nothing better for emotional turmoil or clearing the head, than pie…" Klaus said "He's been a fan of the stuff for centuries and kept it wherever we've lived."

"Hmm…and let me guess," Caroline said, taking a bite, then pointing down at the piece on her plate, "His favorite is… cherry?"

Klaus nodded with a smile

"I see," Caroline said between chews, "and what's yours?"

"Don't know," Klaus replied with a shrug, "Never tried it."

Caroline eyes widened as she stopped chewing and swallowed

"_What?_ You're telling me that you've _never_ had a piece of pie?" she asked in amazement

"No," Klaus affirmed, "And I'm not even sure where Elijah picked up _his_ taste for it, to be honest."

"Alright, _that's it_…" Caroline said, taking the fork and scooping another piece of the pie and some ice cream onto it before holding it out to Klaus and smirking, imitating the voice her Mom always used when she was a kid, "Open wide like the crocodile!"

Klaus chuckled, eying her coyly before leaning forward and taking the fork into his mouth

Caroline watched as he chewed the bite in his mouth, a curious expression crossing his face before he swallowed.

"That's _delicious_…" he smiled, eying the pie and moving closer to her on the bed, "Can I have another bite?"

Caroline smirked as she moved the plate across her body and away from original, "Uh…_that_ was a pity bite. I'm the one in an emotional state here!"

"Why not?" Klaus smiled, "You feeding me pie…you have to admit that it's _adorable_."

Caroline took another bite with a mockingly stern face

"Alright," Klaus relented with a smirk, "I'll just leave you to it then, shall I?"

"You do that…" Caroline teased in between chews as she watched Klaus slowly stand from where he sat next to her on the bed.

"I'll just be downstairs getting my _own piece_ of pie…." he chuckled, eying her up and down playfully, "spoil sport."

Caroline laughed

Just as Klaus reached the bedroom door, he met Misha walking past in the hall, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, willing himself awake.

"Morning Misha," Klaus smirked, "Long night in my liquor cabinet?"

"Oh," Misha smiled, pulling his hands down at the sound of Klaus' voice and stepping toward the threshold in his white t-shirt and jeans, "You're back."

"I am," Klaus replied then watched Misha peek his head inside the door.

"And you have a guest," the warlock pointed out, then waved at Caroline, who giggled as she waved back, fork in hand.

"Yes," Klaus said stepping back inside the room and letting the warlock follow, making the introductions that were missed the previous night amid all the chaos, "Misha, this is Caroline Forbes…Caroline, this is Elijah's best friend, Misha DeVerau."

"It's nice to meet you," Caroline said

"And you as well," Misha nodded then his eyes turned sad, "I'm very sorry for your loss."

Caroline straightened, giving the warlock a sad smile.

"Thank you," she whispered

"Is that _pie_?" Misha suddenly asked with a raised eyebrow, studying the plate in Caroline's hand

Klaus immediately started laughing

"Yes," Caroline replied, somewhat confused, looking between Klaus and the warlock, "Cherry."

"Ahh…_my favorite,_" Misha sighed, "Nothing better to clear the head and warm the soul…" then he turned to Klaus, "I don't suppose there is—"

"Downstairs in the pie safe next to the refrigerator," Klaus smirked, finishing his sentence

"Bless you, you diabolical, but handsome man!" Misha quipped with a smile, clapping a hand on Klaus' shoulder before turning and nodding to Caroline, "Eat that pie, Sugar, and feel better."

"I will. Thanks," she replied before watching the warlock disappear back through the doorway.

"So, _that _is where Elijah's pie obsession came from!" Klaus chuckled, pointing after Misha before making his way to the door himself, "His hang over cravings gave it away."

"Hold it!" Caroline called, waving at him with fork in hand, "Get over here, 'diabolical, but handsome man'!"

Klaus turned back and raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"_Come on_! Get over here!" Caroline urged, playfully relenting as she scooted over on the comforter and made room for him, patting the spot with her free hand before rolling her eyes, "I'll share my pie with you."

Klaus gave an amused scoff as he started walking back to her, "And what's inspired _this_ generosity, may I ask?"

"The fact that now I know there won't be _any _pie for you when you get downstairs," Caroline laughed, offering him a bite on her fork as he sat down at her side once more.

Klaus smiled softly, leaning forward as he met her eyes and took the bite into his mouth and chewed.

"Thank you, again," Caroline sighed, her eyes suddenly turning sad, but never leaving his, "And not _just_ for the pie…"

Klaus swallowed his bite and leaned closer to her, keeping eye contact as he planted a kiss on her forehead, then her nose.

"You are most welcome," he smirked before she lowered the plate onto her lap and pulled him in to her lips.

# # # # # #

Stefan took a deep breath before making his way down the main staircase.

But, soon he found himself slowing his steps at the second landing as piano music suddenly began filling the front parlor and wafting out into the front hallway.

Stefan smiled softly.

"Damon…" he whispered, knowing immediately who it was at the piano, though he hadn't heard his brother play in years…make it _centuries._

Damon had been six years-old when Stefan was born and their Mother passed away after a long and difficult labor. But, she had started his lessons the previous year and Damon had instantly proved to have musical talent.

It was out of respect for her, and perhaps a need to channel his grief into something productive, that Damon continued his lessons. He eventually became a great proficient by his late teens and had even received a musical scholarship to one of the universities out east just before the outbreak of the Civil War.

Suddenly, as he came to the bottom landing of the staircase, Stefan wondered if his father hadn't torn up that scholarship letter in Damon's face, citing it as a waste of time and money, and not driven the elder Salvatore brother to enlist in the Confederate Army, if all of their lives might have been different.

Stefan crossed the hall and slowly opened the parlor door, but heard Damon immediately stop playing as he entered the room.

"Why did you stop?" Stefan asked curiously, folding his arms across his chest as he moved toward where his brother still sat at the piano, reaching for the glass of whiskey on the top of the Steinway and taking a long sip.

"Because, I take requests," Damon smirked, lowering his glass from his lips and twirling it in his hand before turning to his younger brother and patting the spot on the bench next to him, "Sit down, Stefan."

Stefan smirked sadly, but did as he was told and took a seat next to Damon as the older Salvatore took another drink then set his glass back on top of the piano.

Damon then turned to face Stefan, his green eyes boring into his brother's.

They sat there for a few moments, just staring at each other before Damon turned back to the piano and brought his long fingers up to the ivory keys again.

Stefan closed his eyes as Damon started playing "Amazing Grace."

By the time he reached the chorus, Damon looked over and saw that tears were coming down Stefan's face.

Damon immediately stopped.

"Stefan…" he whispered, turning to his younger brother

"I'm sorry," Stefan said quickly, shaking his head, his voice breaking, "You were right. I'm not in the best state right now and Elena leaving…it just _broke me_, Damon."

Damon put a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder.

"She left me…" Stefan whimpered, opening his wet eyes and focusing on his brother

Damon took a breath and looked directly at his brother

"You're not alone," he said in a low voice, "She left us _both,_ Stefan."

Stefan nodded, seemingly grateful for the support as his face crumbled and he reached for his brother, pulling him into an embrace.

They stayed like that for minutes, but it felt like hours, each of them savoring the comfort of the other.

Finally, Damon sighed as he pulled back and clasped his brother's face in his hands.

"Okay…enough with this pity party! I love _you_… you love _me_…and no more Crazo-Klaus-blaming Stefan, _alright?_ We are just going to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, as Father would say, and soldier on—go about our normal routine and just wait for Elena to figure out…you know, all the _stuff _she's got to figure out… Okay?"

Stefan nodded with small smile, wiping under his eyes, "Okay."

"Okay!" Damon cheered, throwing up his hands and turning back to the piano, "Water under the bridge."

"I don't have to apologize to Klaus, though, do I?" Stefan asked

"Of course not," Damon smiled as he brought his hands back to the keys and Stefan chuckled

"Now…" Damon said, running his hands over the keys playfully as he turned to his brother, "What would cheer you up and bring back the old Stefan?"

Stefan sighed as he thought for a moment then suddenly smiled as a memory came to mind.

"Oh, you are going to _hate_ me for this…" he said, bringing his hand up to his mouth and struggling not to burst out into laughter

"What?" Damon asked, amused

Stefan tried to gain his composure, "Do you remember when we went to that _God awful_ spring festival in Woodbridge to honor that Sicilian that Father bought all that wood from for the mill right before the war?"

"Ugh!" Damon cried, remembering exactly what Stefan referred to, still fresh in his mind from centuries before, "The one where that woman's Dobermans kept stealing my cake, five people got food poisoning from the roasted lamb, and 'Mopey' Fell kept pestering me to ask her for a dance—"

"And then you shoved her off on me…telling her that _I_ fancied her!" Stefan shot back playfully

"Hey, _I'm sorry_! But, I was desperate!" Damon laughed, clutching his brothers arm, "God, that _was_ an awful day."

"But do remember the _best_ part of that day?" Stefan asked with a raised eyebrow

Damon furrowed his brow in thought for a moment then rolled his eyes.

"No!" he smirked, holding up his hands, "You can't mean _that!_"

"Oh, you have to admit, seeing them pull Father up on stage to sing with those old Italian guys…that was _hilarious!_" Stefan countered

"It was," Damon affirmed, "But what was funnier is that you would walk past him for the next month, humming the tune under your breath with a smile and he would turn beet purple."

"God, he was _so _mortified by that, wasn't he?" Stefan smiled

"But, not half as mortified as when we sat down at the piano and sang it for his birthday that year," Damon conceded, seeing where Stefan was going with the story

"Come on…" Stefan said urged, pressing one of the keys playfully on his end, "For old time sake? Please?"

"_Fine_," Damon said with a smile, closing his eyes as he tried to pull the tune to mind, "But it never sounds right without the trombone."

After a moment, he brought his hands to the keys again and starting playing the upbeat Italian tune and chuckled when Stefan broke out into an imitation of their father's singing voice.

"C'e la luna mezz'o mare Mamma mia me maritari," Stefan crooned, "Figghia mia, a cu ta ddari Mamma mia pensaci tu!"

Then he pointed at Damon and the older Salvatore brother took the cue, rolling his eyes before he picked up the tune and, to Stefan's amusement, did it in perfect imitation of one of the elder gentlemen they remembered from the festival.

"Si ti dugnu pisciaiolu, Iddu va, iddu veni, sembe lu pisci in mano tene!" Damon sang, "Si ci piglia la fantasia, Ti pisciulia a figghia mia!"

Then he pointed back to Stefan and they sang in chorus, "Ue Mamma!"

And Stefan interjected, "Me voglio marita!"

Then they sang in chorus, "Ue Mamma!"

Damon chimed in, "Quand e bella baccala!

Then together again, "Ue Mamma!"

Stefan threw his hands up dramatically like the Italians do as he cried, "Piscia fritta baccala!"

Damon busted up laughing as they struggled to sing the next line together, "Me vogliu na gualgliotte che mi voglia maritar!"

Then Damon collapsed on the piano, "Oh, please, no more!"

"We've got a whole stanza and a chorus left!" Stefan urged, himself laughing

"Oh! I can't…_I can't_!" Damon laughed holding his side

Stefan clapped his hands together and fell on his brother as they continued laughing and carrying on.

# # # # # #

_**((More Elejah next chapter. Thanks for reading. If you are curious, the song Damon and Stefan sing is called "Luna Mezzo' Mare", an old Italian folk tune. You can find it on the internet if you want to listen to it.))**_


	9. Chapter 9

Minutes after she heard the back door close, Elena sighed as she, herself, turned and made her way up the back lawn, unsure whether she should give Elijah space or press him to find out what had just happened between them.

What _had_ happened between them?

And what did he mean by 'I need pie'?

Her mind reeled, still unsure of his words and actions, though it was obvious that touching her had done _something_ to him, seemingly affecting him just as much as it had been affecting her.

She didn't regret asking him to touch her—she _had_ to know if he also felt the connection she had been feeling—but, now she couldn't help wondering and worrying about how this would affect their interactions for the rest of the trip.

All Elena knew for sure was that she had feelings for Elijah before she left Mystic Falls—new and uncertain feelings of something _more_ than friendship—but she never imagined that they would manifest into something as intense as what she had been feeling recently—causing her to see him in a whole new light and react to his looks and touches in entirely new ways.

She found herself curious, exhilarated and terrified all at the same time.

When she reached the back veranda, she climbed the stairs and opened the back storm door, slipping inside and gently closing the door behind her.

But, as she wrapped her sweater tighter around her and crossed the kitchen, she caught sight of Elijah out of the corner of his eye, causing her to stop dead in her tracks.

He _was_ eating pie…and cherry by the looks of it.

Elijah turned in his chair when he saw her, studying her with sad eyes as he laid his fork down on his plate.

"Would you like a piece?" he finally asked in a soft voice, seemingly unsure what else to say

Elena took in a breath then nodded.

She walked slowly toward the counter as Elijah got up and retrieved a plate and for her from a nearby cabinet, then grabbed a chair with his free arm and pulled it up to the breakfast bar across from him before setting the plate and fork in front of her as she took a seat.

As he returned to sit in his own chair, he pushed the pie dish toward her and moved the spatula around so she could pick her own piece.

"I've got ice cream in the freezer if—" Elijah began, but Elena held up her hand to silence him with a small smile that melted his heart.

"No, Thanks," she said in a soft voice, lowering her hand and sliding a piece of pie onto her plate before replacing the spatula, "I'm a purist when it comes to my pie."

Elijah sat back in his chair, eying her as he smirked, "Me, too."

There were a few moments of silence as they ate, before Elijah finally spoke again, keeping his eyes on his plate.

He was sure if he actually looked at her, he would break, but he owed her an explanation.

"I must apologize for my behavior out there," Elijah said, taking another bite onto his fork, "I shouldn't have just walked off like that—"

"Well, you needed pie," Elena quipped light-heartedly as she swallowed a bite, studying him, "I'm the last person to argue with that, given that I love pie, too, but, you're right, it did seem like an awkward moment to suddenly want it."

Elijah smiled, still looking down at his plate as he took the bite into his mouth, chewing it slowly for few moments then swallowing.

He wanted desperately to tell you everything he was feeling...in his head and in his heart...but, they weren't the words that came out.

"You know, Misha was the one who introduced me to pie," he said, wedging off another piece with his fork, "He always said it was always helpful if you were in emotional turmoil or just needed to clear your head. 'Good for the soul'."

Elena's heart suddenly sank as she swallowed her last bite.

_Emotional turmoil?_ Had she caused him emotional turmoil? And if so, what kind?

Elijah took a deep breath then took the bite into his mouth, chewing silently again as Elena watched him.

"Do you…want to talk about it?" she asked tentatively in a soft voice, bracing herself for the original's reaction

Elijah closed his eyes as he swallowed, thinking for a moment, but unable to bring himself to say what he wanted to.

He just shook his head.

Elena nodded, a sad smile crossing her face.

After a few more moments of awkward silence, Elena straightened in her seat as she took her last bite and put down her fork.

"Well_, that_ was excellent pie," she remarked between chews, changing the subject, "Is cherry your favorite?"

Elijah opened his eyes and studied her for a moment, seemingly in amazement that she respected his space enough not to press him about what had transpired between them out on the lawn.

"Yes. Vivienne made it for my birthday," he said softly, absentmindedly picking at the crust on his piece

Elena's eyes immediately brightened, "Your _birthday_?"

Elijah squeezed his eyes shut at his own stupidity at spilling the beans, then nodded reluctantly, "It's today."

Elena raised an eyebrow, "Really? How old are you?"

Elijah cocked his head and gave a devilish grin, then tisked at her question as he raised his fork at her.

She giggled, pulling back and raising her hand in defense.

"Okay…sorry…white flag!" Elena smiled as Elijah lowered his fork back to his plate

Elena studied him with soft eyes as she lowered her hands, "Can I at least ask how you plan to celebrate?"

"I usually don't make a big fuss out of it," Elijah replied with a sigh, "Birthdays are for humans. When you're a vampire, they start to lose their meaning. I haven't celebrated my birthday in a _very _long time."

Elena furrowed her eyebrow at him for a moment, then pushed back from the table, grabbing her plate and taking it to the sink, then turning back to face him.

"That's it. We're going out."

"We are?" Elijah asked, confused

"Yep," Elena smiled, pushing off the counter and walking back toward him, "I refuse to let you be all 'birthday are for humans' this year. We are going to celebrate."

"Elena—"

"No. No arguments," Elena countered, "Now, I'm going to go to my room to relax for a while and _you_ are going to have another piece of pie and think about whatever it is that is on your mind and are not quite ready to share with me…" she shared a knowing look with Elijah and he smirked sadly then nodded, "and we'll meet right here, both dressed for a party, at five o'clock... Deal?"

Elijah nodded again and Elena smiled before walking around him and out of the kitchen.

She almost put her hand on his shoulder before she went, but decided against it for fear of igniting their connection.

# # # # # # #

Klaus groaned as there was a swift knock on his bedroom door.

"Go away!" he said, rolling over slightly and without looking or aiming, throwing the fork from Caroline's pie plate wildly in the direction of the doorway.

There was a clinking sound as it hit the door, then fell to the floor and the door opened slightly

"Urgent Mikaeslon Family business," Kol's voice sounded behind the wood

Rebekah chimed in soon after, "Can we come in or are you both naked in there?"

"_What?"_ Klaus asked, slowly rising from under the covers where he had been snuggling with Caroline, "And no, we are _not _naked."

"It's a legitimate question." Caroline smiled, sitting up next to him, smoothing her hair and wrapping her blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"Thank you," Rebekah acknowledged from behind the door

Klaus rolled his eyes, "Come in if you must."

Finally, the door swung all the way open and Kol and Rebekah walked through the threshold, Kol working on the plate of pie in his hands, while Rebekah kept her eyes fixed on her IPhone.

"So what's this 'urgent Mikaelson Family business'?," Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched Kol take a seat in a nearby chair and Rebekah on the end of his bed.

"Well," Rebekah smiled, looking over her shoulder to Kol, "When we were downstairs just now, nursing our hangovers, we realized that today is October 28th!"

"And?" Klaus smirked, pretending not to realize the day's significance.

Rebekah huffed, dropping her phone in her lap, "Nik! Stop fooling around!"

"What's so special about October 28th?" Caroline asked curiously

"It's Elijahs' birthday," Klaus replied, then turned back to his sister, "A day that he doesn't like mentioned _or_ celebrated, if you recall..."

"Oh, Elijah's a spoil sport!" Rebekah smiled, waving off Klaus' comment, "Always has been when it comes to having fun. He's just shy and doesn't like people making a fuss over him is all."

"But you _still_ make the fuss anyway," Klaus countered

"Of course I do. That is what annoying little sisters are for," Rebekah replied, picking up her phone again and punching in a phone number, "And this year is the first year we've all been back together since the Victorian Era, so we are going to _all_ make a fuss of it together."

Suddenly, there was another knock on the door.

"Did I miss it?" Misha asked as he walked through the threshold to Rebekah's side

"Nope," Rebekah smiled, "just dialing now. Where's Kaspar?"

"Still sleeping off last night's escapades," Misha smiled

"I can't _believe_ we are doing this…" Klaus smirked with a raised eyebrow, looking from Rebekah, to Misha, to Kol, "Thank God he's like hundreds of miles away or we'd be dead meat."

"Yep," Kol replied, his mouth full of pie, "And we were hoping Caroline would join in too. It would just make mortifying our big brother _that much_ sweeter!"

Rebekah smiled as she hit the 'Call' button on the cell phone, then handed it up to Misha.

"Watch this…" Klaus chuckled to Caroline in a low voice

Misha hit the speaker phone button and the sound of the line ringing filled Klaus' bedroom.

# # # # # # #

Elijah had just taken the first bite of his second piece of pie, when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket.

His brow furrowed curiously before he leaned to one side in the chair to easily access his pant pocket and retrieve his phone.

As he set it down on the counter next to his plate, he smirked when he saw the caller ID-it was his sister.

Elijah studied the phone as it continued to ring, debating whether or not he should answer.

With Rebekah, the call was surely to be about one of four things. One—she and the siblings weren't getting along and was calling to complain to Elijah. Two—they were all in imminent danger from some unforeseen force. Three—she was nosy about his trip with Elena. Four—she remembered his birthday.

Fearing that it was the second reason, but preparing himself for the fourth, Elijah sighed, then hit the 'Answer' button on the touch screen.

"Hello?" he asked, bracing himself

"This is the birthday police!" Misha cried in a jubilant voice and Elijah smiled, silently cursing himself for answering the phone as a voice, probably Kol's, emanated in the background, wailing like a police siren to add effect.

"Why?!" Elijah laughed, covering his hand over his eyes, "_Why?!"_

Rebekah's voice came on the line, "Because we love you, you git! And we don't always get a chance to tell you how glad we are that you were born."

Suddenly, Elijah heard static as the phone was passed and Klaus came on the line.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "What she said…"

Elijah smirked, that was as 'heartfelt' as Niklaus would ever get.

Then Misha came back on the line again, "We know you don't like birthdays, but as Rebekah pointed out, we haven't all been together to do this is a very, _very_ long time, so we thought it was fitting to call and embarrass you like we used to. You ready?"

"Do you have to?" Elijah asked, rolling his eyes

"Hey, the sooner we do this, the sooner we hang up and you can forget this ever happened!" Misha laughed

"Alright... wait, just let me my ear plugs," Elijah quipped

"Ready?" Misha said to the siblings in the background, ignoring Elijah's jab, "One...two...three..."

"Happy Birthday to you!" they all sang in odd, off pitch chorus, "Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Elijah! Happy Birthday _to you!"_

"We would have gotten you a cake, but the candles would have rivaled the Chicago fire of 1871!" Kol laughed

"Ha, ha..." Elijah deadpanned

"We love you, Ejah!" Rebekah added

"Just enjoy your birthday …" Misha chimed in, "And promise that you'll celebrate... _for once_!"

"Actually," Elijah said, looking up to the ceiling and thinking of Elena, "This is year, I am."

A dead silence fell on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" Elijah smiled

"It's here…" Klaus mused in a dramatic tone into the phone, "It's officially arrived…."

Then Misha laughed, "Hell has done _froze over_!"

"Break out the snow blowers!" Kol quipped

"Does this have something to do with, Elena?" Rebekah suddenly asked curiously and Elijah could almost see the smile crossing her face hundreds of miles away.

"If I know Elena," Caroline chimed in, "Probably…"

"It hasn't even been _a day_," Misha added with chuckle, "What exactly has that girl done to you, Boy?"

Elijah smiled, "Honestly... I don't quite know."


	10. Chapter 10

**((Hey, Sorry, guys. To those of you who have already recieved email notification that this chapter had already been posted, I was fiddling around on the site today and accidentally deleted Chapter 10 after I posted it last night. I haven't had a lot of sleep lately and have been a little out of it, so I may have gotten a little punchy on the computer keys. So, forgive me if you get two notices in your email inbox and go "WTF?". BUT, I did take this mess up as an opportunity to add a few things that I forgot to in Elijah and Elena's conversation ;) Now, for those of you who haven't read the story yet...In the words of the great Samuel L. Jackson..."HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS!"))**

Elena smirked, taking in the atmosphere as Elijah held the door open for her and she walked into the dark and slightly crowded club.

It resembled a lounge in a 1960's movie—people dining and mingling at small circular tables, with white table cloths and candles, arranged in the center of the yacht club-style decorated room.

All the tables were facing a large wooden dance floor and stage, where a middle-aged band was playing Frank Sinatra's _Fly Me to The Moon__**.**_

"What?" Elijah asked with a chuckle, coming to her side and surveying the scene

"Nothing," Elena replied with a chuckle of her own

"You told me to choose somewhere for us to celebrate…so, I chose," Elijah said, pointing toward the bar counter, "Looks like there is room at the bar. Would you like to sit down?"

Elena nodded and Elijah led the way through the crowd.

When they reached the bar, Elijah pulled out Elena's chair for her and watched her take a seat in her dark blue cocktail dress, folding the tool at the bottom under her, before he removed his suit jacket and draped it over the back of his own chair.

"Good Evening," the bartender greeted, from the far end, "I'll be right with you."

He was a tall, college-aged, blonde and Elijah nodded to him in acknowledgement before taking a seat next to Elena and leaning in to her.

"This is the perfect time for a lesson in compulsion," he said in a low voice next to ear

"What?" Elena asked, turning to him and finding herself dangerously close to his face.

He pulled back and studied her with soft eyes, then continued, swallowing back his emotions as he shifted his eyes back to the young bartender, "You are technically under age. Compel that bartender into giving you a drink."

"Are you serious?" Elena asked, stunned

"Why not?" Elijah smirked, "You still want to learn to be a vampire, right?"

"Yes, but-what if I mess it up and fry his brain or something?" Elena countered with a nervous laugh

"You won't. Just look him directly in the eye and state your demand in a steady and confident tone," Elijah instructed

"But—" Elena protested, but at that moment, Elijah turned and pointed over her shoulder to the bartender who was now coming their way.

"Don't worry," he whispered quickly, "I've got your back and if you get desperate, remember that flirting might work, too."

Elena narrowed her eyes at him playfully and smirked at him, "Thanks for that."

Elijah's face softened, his eyes drifting to her dress then back to her face, "Well, it's the truth. You look beautiful…as always."

Elena opened her mouth to speak, but just then, the bartender arrived

"Hi, Folks," the blonde Abercrombie and Finch ad smiled broadly, tossing cocktail napkins in front of them and leaning on the counter "My name is Gabe. What can I get you to drink this evening?"

"I would like a bourbon, straight up, please," Elijah said, straightening the napkin in front of him

The bartender nodded then turned to Elena, "And for you?"

"I'll have the same," Elena replied

"Sure. I'll just have to see some I.D.", the bartender said, straightening and throwing the bar towel over his shoulder

Elena turned to Elijah and he smirked

Elena took in a breath then turned back to face the bartender, focusing her eyes and bringing her brown irises to meet his blue head on while speaking in a low, steady voice, "You checked my identification. I am twenty-two."

When Elena felt a strange sensation between her and the bartender, like a clicking sensation in her head, she knew something had happened.

But, it was as she forced herself to break eye contact with him that she saw that it had worked.

The bartender looked blankly at her for a moment as if someone had hit his 'pause' button, then he shook himself out of the trance and smiled, "Thanks. I'll be right back with your drinks."

"Well done," Elijah said, leaning into her with a smile

"Thanks," Elena said, a small smile crossing her own face, "I feel cool…_powerful._"

Elijah laughed, "Well, don't let that power go to your head. Compulsion is a useful tool, but it should only be used when absolutely necessary."

"Point taken," Elena conceded as Gabe returned with their drinks

"Thank you," Elijah said to the young man, pulling a twenty out of his pocket and handing it to him.

"So," Elena said, turning on her stool to face the original, "October 28th, a thousand and…."

Elijah smirked, sensing where she was going with her inquisition, "I'm _still _not telling you how old I am."

"Okay," Elena replied playfully, "a thousand and…dot…dot…dot…years ago, you were born in what is now the charming town of Mystic Falls…"

"Yes." Elijah answered, taking a drink from his tumbler, "But, technically in what is now Harper's Woods."

"_And?_" Elena prompted

"_And_ what?" Elijah asked

"Come on," Elena smiled, "Everyone has a story about when they were born. What's yours?"

"There isn't much of a story," Elijah replied, "It was cold night during the fall harvest. I was born. That's it. End of story."

Elena rolled her eyes, then raised her glass to him, "Fine. Well, here is to a thousand and dot...dot...dot..._dot_...more years,"

"I'll drink to that," Elijah smiled as he raised his own glass and their tumblers clinked

Just then, the band started playing _Beyond the Sea_ and Elijah closed his eyes with a smile.

"Ahh…Bobby Darin…a classic," he said, taking a drink, then lowering his glass, "I love this place."

"Been coming here awhile?" Elena joked

"Longer than these people," Elijah replied, opening his eyes

Elena started laughing,

"What?" Elijah asked, amused

"Nothing," Elena replied twirling her tumbler, "It's just that..." She trailed off as she leaned into him and lowered her voice, "Do you know where we are?"

"Of course. I told you, I've been coming her since the place opened in '59. The name is on the sign outside—"

"I don't mean the name of the place, Elijah," Elena smirked, nodding back toward the crowd around them, "I mean what's going on here."

"What's going on here?" he inquired

"Elijah, it's a sixty/forty bar," Elena explained, "We're the youngest people here. Well, me…and _hypothetically,_ you. "

"What is a 'sixty/forty' bar?" Elijah asked, genuinely intrigued

Suddenly, the bartender appeared before them again, "You know, Dude… sixty year-old men hitting on and trying to pick up forty year-old women."

Elijah followed the bartender's gaze to the end of the bar and the couple sitting there.

An older man, who looked strangely like Jack Nicholson with graying hair and Ray Ban sunglasses and dressed in a dark blue suit, bought a drink for a perky, young blonde in a red dress, who cast him flirtatious looks out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh…" Elijah said, raising an eyebrow as he turned back to Elena

"I rest my case," Elena smiled, before taking another drink

"Can I get you anything else?" Gabe, the bartender asked with a way-too-charming smile

"Some cheese fries for me," Elena piped up, then looked to Elijah

"Birthday boy?" she prompted

"I'm good," Elijah smiled, holding up a hand

Gabe nodded, then left

"Hungry?" Elijah asked, his eyes looking worried

"I fed about four hours ago, but, let's just say that I can start to smell the blood," Elena said in a low voice, "particularly if they walk by too close."

"You're right to suppress your hunger with human food," Elijah commended, then nodded toward the drink in her hand, "and alcohol always helps, too. That's why we're all alcoholics."

He pulled back with a wink and Elena chuckled.

"Here we go," Gabe said as he sat Elena's fries in front of her

"Thanks," she said, then pointed over to Elijah, "Put it on 'Birthday Boy's' tab,"

Elijah rolled his eyes and pulled his money clip from his pocket again and tossed a hundred at the bartender, "Go ahead and open a tab and keep the bourbons coming."

Gabe nodded with a smile and left again

"Want some?" Elena asked, taking a bite of a fry before pushing the basket toward Elijah

"Sure," Elijah said, pulling a couple of napkins in front of him and reaching for the salt and pepper shakers nearby.

Elena watched curiously as he shook a mixture of salt and pepper on each napkin then smirked as he pushed one across the bar in front of her.

"Is this salt and pepper dip?" Elena asked in amazement, looking down at the napkin

"I only just discovered it," Elijah said, reaching into the basket and removing a fry, "It's quite delicious. According to a reliable source it's 'fast food gospel'."

Elena smiled as she watched Elijah dip his fry into the dip and pop it into his mouth.

"You are just full of surprises, aren't you?" Elena smirked, dipping the rest of her fry in her own dip and taking another bite.

"You have no idea…" Elijah said, studying her with soft eyes—eyes that suddenly brought back that fire in her stomach, only he didn't need to touch her skin to make her feel it.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed and Elena broke eye contact, curiously looking over her shoulder at the stage across the room.

The other musicians on stage now faded into the background as the leader of the band—a middle aged man with dark blonde hair got up from his seat at the Steinway piano and walked up to front of the stage to one of the two microphones there, taking a seat on a stool in front of one and tossing the strap of an acoustic guitar over his shoulder as he watched his female counterpart walk up to the second.

After a few moments, with the murmuring sound of the crowd in the background, she adjusted the microphone as she spoke into it.

"This is next song is a favorite of mine—a more modern tune than what we've been playing tonight—and it's for all of you lovers out there. We hope your love lasts for 'A Thousand Years.'"

As the opening chords began playing on the acoustic guitar, Elena smiled as she turned around back toward the bar.

"I love this song," Elena said softly, catching Elijah's attention and causing him to give a quick look over his own shoulder at the people in the bar who started choosing their partners and moving to the dance floor.

"Uh…Elena…" he said out of the corner of his mouth as he turned back around and took his bourbon in hand and brought it to his lips, "Either you're passing for a forty-year old woman or this guy is _really_ ambitious."

"What?" Elena asked, shocked

"Silver fox at eight o'clock," Elijah said in a low voice before taking a sip from his tumbler and using it to disguise his lip movement, "_Totally_ checking you out."

Elena narrowed her eyes then slowly turned her head to discreetly glance over her shoulder in the direction Elijah mentioned.

And there he was-in a dress shirt and blue sport coat with salt and pepper hair and Ralph Lauren glasses…and heading her way.

"Oh, my God…" she whispered as she quickly turned back and nervously popped a French fry in her mouth, "He _is_…and he's coming _over here_!"

"Told you," Elijah smirked as he reached into the basket and plucked out another French fry.

"What am I going to do? I _can't_ dance with him," Elena said, her face falling with worry, "I can't be close to a human right now, I haven't fed in—"

"Don't worry," Elijah suddenly countered as he swallowed his French fry and leaned closer to her, "I'll protect you. I won't let you get sixty/fortied…"

Elena took in a staggered breath as she watched him turn in his chair to face her and extend his right hand to her.

"As long as you don't mind being a thousand/twenty-two'd..." Elijah said

They shared an intense look for a moment, both seemingly bracing themselves for contact and all the feelings that it would bring flooding forward.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked sweetly, raising an eyebrow as the woman behind the microphone began singing.

"_**The day we met, **_

_**Frozen, I held my breath…**_

_**Right from the start,**_

_**I knew that I'd found a home for my heart…"**_

"_What_?" Elena asked, swallowing nervously

"Well, rumor has it, you '_love_ this song'," Elijah quipped and Elena couldn't help but smile a little, biting her lip in consideration.

"Please?" Elijah asked, his eyes softening, "It's my birthday, remember?"

"_**My heart beats fast, **_

_**Colors and promises...**_

_**How to be brave?**_

_**How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?"**_

Finally, Elena turned on the stool took his hand, sighing instantly when she felt the connection between them and by the look on his face, she knew Elijah felt it, too. But, he pulled himself together quickly and helped her up from her seat.

_**"But watching you stand alone,  
**_

_**All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow…"**_

Elena then watched Elijah turn his attention to the silver fox, who had just now made it to the bar, and give him a friendly nod.

The silver fox nodded back, relinquishing his potential prize to the original as Elijah led her past him to the dance floor.

"_**One step closer…"  
**_

Elena took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to will the smell of the blood away as she glanced around her at the small group of people swaying in each other's arms to the song.

"Elena…"

Elijah's voice caused her open her eyes and she realized that they had stopped and he was standing before her on the dance floor, his eyes soft and a small smile crossing his lips as he gently took her left hand in his right as if it was made of glass.

"_**I have died everyday waiting for you…"**_

He snaked the other arm around her waist, drawing her to him.

"_**Darling don't be afraid,**_

_**I have loved you for a thousand years,**_

_**I'll love you for a thousand more…"**_

Elena felt the room and all the people melt away as Elijah lead the way around the dance floor, their skin humming against each other.

And in that moment, it was her and him.

When he looked at her like that it was _always_ her and him.

"_**Time stands still,  
**_

_**Beauty in all she is…" **_

Elena felt her heart swell as he brought his head to rest next to hers

"_**I will be brave,  
**_

_**I will not let anything take away,  
**_

_**What's standing in front of me…  
**_

_**Every breath,**_

_**Every hour has come to this…"**__**  
**_

Elena suddenly felt Elijah pull back to face her, his eyes locked with hers again.

"_**One step closer…" **_

And in an instant, he spun her gently out from him.

"_**I have died everyday waiting for you…"**_

He then brought her back in before turning her back out and twirling her under his arm.

"_**Darling don't be afraid, **_

_**I have loved you for a thousand years, **_

_**I'll love you for a thousand more..."**_

They shared a smile when he finally pulled her back to his chest once more and took up their standard dance frame, holding their gaze with each other.

"_**And all along I believed I would find you,  
**_

_**Time has brought your heart to me,**_

_**I have loved you for a thousand years,**_

_**I'll love you for a thousand more…"**_

"You know, after you left, that second piece of pie got me thinking…" Elijah said, in a low voice as they continued to move

"Really?" Elena smirked, "About what?"

"That I still owe you an explanation for what happened with you and me out in the yard today," Elijah replied

Elena swallowed, feeling the fire in her stomach rise higher in anticipation of his next words

Elijah took in a deep breath, then spoke, "First of all, I want you to know that I meant _exactly_ what I said to you Elena…That when I touch you—our connection—it feels like home…"

A slow smile crossed Elena's face

"What I didn't tell you—what I _couldn't_ tell you— is that I'm…_terrified _of that feeling..."

Elena's smiled faded as she watched Elijah close his eyes in pain.

"Because it also made me realize something and it's something I haven't really been able to admit to myself until now..."

"What?" Elena asked in a soft voice

"_**One step closer…"**_

"That from the very first moment I saw you—when Rose brought me to you in that abandoned mansion—I fell in love with you, Elena."

Elena opened her mouth to speak, but Elijah continued, opening his eyes and looking directly at her, before she could get anything out.

"In the beginning, I fought it, believing that the feelings I was experiencing were rooted _only_ in the fact that you looked like Liliya and that you had so many of her personality traits—traits Katerina never had. But, it wasn't long before it wasn't _her_ I was seeing when I looked into your eyes…it was _you_."

"Elijah…" Elena whispered, her mind reeling and her heart warming

"_**One step closer…"**_

"It was always _you,_ Elena. Every touch, every look, every time you kissed me…I didn't see her, I saw you and I see you right now," he continued, "And when I touch you, when I feel that connection between us, it only makes my feelings for you intensify and grow beyond belief..."

"_**I have died everyday waiting for you,  
**_

_**Darling don't be afraid,**_

_**I have loved you, for a thousand years, **_

_**I'll love you for a thousand more…**_

Elena immediately found herself speechless as she watched Elijah kiss her hand in his and pull it to his chest over his heart, as they continued to dance.

"But, it terrifies you..." she whispered, coming back to what he said earlier

Elijah nodded, "Yes. Because I haven't loved someone in a _very_ long time, Elena...at least, not in the way that I love you."

_**"And all along I believed I would find you,  
**_

_**Time has brought your heart to me,  
**_

_**I have loved you for a thousand years,  
**_

_**I'll love you for a thousand more…"**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**((Thank you all for your kind reviews of Chapter 10. I have to mention that the first time I heard Christina Perri's 'A Thousand Years' it was the music in a Klaus/Caroline video!:) LOL! But, I thought that it would just work out perfectly for this couple and the scene turned out better than I could have imagined. I hope you like this chapter as well. Sorry it's short this time. Feel free to suggest ideas for future chapters in the reviews section or message me.))**_

After their dance, Elena hadn't really said anything and Elijah hadn't really expected her to.

They spent the next four hours drinking and having a good time, celebrating his birthday, though it was obvious the sexual tension had magnified between them.

Elijah understood that Elena would need time after his declaration on the dance floor.

But, he had to admit that it felt good to finally have sorted out his feelings and get them out in the open.

The 10th century chivalrous noble in him made him feel that he had been too forward, but he couldn't help it…it all just sort of came out.

Love does that to people.

Elijah hadn't lied to her when he said that it had been a long time since he had truly loved someone—a thousand years, in fact—but he couldn't help but relish in the feeling of it again.

But, Elena had much more to deal with in her life than he had, including the Salvatore brothers, who Elijah was sure she still had some sort of feelings for.

She couldn't just walk away from that, even after what he had said, and it would be both wrong of him and impractical to just expect her to reciprocate his feelings immediately.

Still, he found himself wondering what her feelings for him were.

That wasn't wrong was it? To want to know?

He kept telling himself that he would find out soon enough.

He was a patient man…he could wait.

In fact he had waited much longer for things much less trivial…

It was approaching 11pm when the Mercedes halted in the circle drive in front of the mansion and Elijah put the car in park as Elena opened the passenger side door, coming out unsteadily to her feet.

"You know, this _may_ be the liquor talking..." Elena said with hooded eyes, "but that's the most fun I've had in a _long_ time! Who knew a sixty/forty bar could be so much fun?"

She giggled uncontrollably for a moment, leaning on the trunk of the car as she watched Elijah close his door and round the back to meet up with her.

"I'm not sure what part of the night was my favorite," he mused as he removed his suit jacket and tossed it over his arm, "when that man who looked like Hugh Heffner climbed up on the bar and sang 'Desperado' _or_ when I went to the restroom and found those two women making out."

"Oh! Oh _my God_!" Elena chimed in a slightly slurred voice, "_Or _when that guy in the purple velour jogging suit asked me for a dance and then, after I said no…he turned around and asked _you!_"

"Wait until you see this…" Elijah smirked as he reached into the inside of his jacket and pulled out a cocktail napkin, holding it up for Elena to see, "He slipped his number into _my jacket_!"

"_What?_ No!" Elena busted up laughing, narrowing her eyes in disbelief as she took the cocktail napkin in her hand to study it.

"Why do I always get hit on by men at bars?" Elijah asked thoughtfully, "First Gabe, then the purple velour guy-"

"Hold on," Elena interrupted, holding her hand up with a smirk, "_Gabe..._ the _bartender_?"

"Oh yeah…" Elijah replied, pulling his check out of his pocket and holding it out to Elena, pointing to the bottom where Gabe had written his name and number on the bottom with a winking smiley face.

"Oh, _my God_…" Elena giggled in amusement, "This is too priceless..."

"I don't get it," Elijah mused, "Is it the _wardrobe_?"

Elena rolled her eyes as she crumpled up the check and the cocktail napkin and tossed it clumsily over her shoulder onto the driveway.

"Well, will it help if I told you _I _like your wardrobe and as a _woman_, find it _very _attractive?"

A small smile crossed Elijah's face as he stepped forward, raising a teasing eyebrow, "Really?"

Elena nodded as she took her own step forward, but stopped suddenly in her tracks, visibly wobbling.

As she closed her eyes to suppress her nausea, Elijah grasped her arm to steady her.

"Easy there, Ace," he said, trying to hold her up, but failing, "You alright?"

Elena let herself fall against his chest and Elijah caught her

"Maybe all that bourbon was a _bad_ idea. I don't feel so good," she whimpered into his dress shirt

"Well, you're going to feel _even worse_ tomorrow morning," Elijah chuckled, wrapping his arms around her and holding her steadily against him.

"Thanks for ruining the surprise," Elena quipped, then sighed contently, feeling their connection humming between them, causing amazing and familiar sensations throughout her body.

"This is nice…" she whispered, tightening her arms around Elijah and taking in his scent

Elijah smirked as he rested his chin on the crown of her head and brought his right hand up to stroke her hair softly, himself relishing the feel of their connection, "Yes, it is…"

"Can we just stand out here like this forever?" Elena asked, her voice starting to get groggy

Elijah smiled, then feeling her body relaxing against him, pulled back slightly to see that her eyes were fluttering—she was falling asleep.

"I would love that," he replied softly, "But I can't imagine it would be a very comfortable position to sleep in. We should get you to bed."

"I won't make it…" Elena whimpered, her head falling against his shoulder, "Will you carry me?"

"Uh, no," Elijah chuckled, "First of all, you got yourself into this mess, young lady, I just paid the bar tab. And second, I'm _slightly_ inebriated, myself. I'm not carrying you."

Elena exhaled deeply as she forced herself to open her eyes and lean back from him, her face pouting as she met his gaze.

"Oh, we're breaking out the pouty face, are we?" Elijah smirked, amused as he brought his jacket over her shoulders to keep her warm and Elena stuck her lip out further and softened her dark eyes, batting them.

"You can give me the doe eyes all you want, Elena, it's _not_ going to work on me…" Elijah chuckled, "I have a sister, remember?"

Elena brought her arms up around Elijah's neck and raised herself up on her tip toes, leaning against him again as she rested her cheek on the side of his face and whispered into his ear in a pleading voice.

"_Please, _Elijah?"

Elijah sighed in defeat as Elena pulled back, still wearing her pouting face, and he looked into her eyes, pushing her dark hair behind her ear.

"_Fine…just this once,"_ he smiled, taking hold of her left arm and throwing it over his shoulder, around his neck, and pulling her up into his arms, "Get up here..."

Elena sighed, a small smile crossing her face as she wrapped her other arm securely around his neck, leaning her head sleepily onto his shoulder as he started up the front porch steps with her in his arms.

When they entered the house, he kicked the door shut behind them and easily maneuvered through the dark foyer and up the staircase to the second floor.

At the top landing, he turned and made his way to Elena's room, opening the door with his free hand and turning on the light as he crossed the room and gently laid Elena on top of her bed.

The moment her sleeping body hit the comforter, she curled up in a ball as Elijah sat down on the edge of the bed and gently removed his suit jacket from her shoulders, tossing it on a nearby chair, then started taking off her dress shoes one by one and placed them on the floor.

Realizing that she was too tired to move under the bed covers, he stood and walked to the cedar chest at the end of the bed, lifting the lid and producing a large thermal blanket from it.

He then moved back to his seat on the edge of the bed, reaching up and grabbing one of the large pillows, then gently lifting Elena's head and tucking the pillow under it. When he lowered her head, he smoothed his hair out with his hand as she whimpered and murmured something in her sleep.

He smirked as he unfolded the blanket in his arms completely, then draped it over her, his eyes studying her sleeping form intently before he leaned over her and kissed her left temple.

"Good night, Sweet girl," he whispered in her ear, then pulled back, sliding to the edge of the bed and rising to his feet to leave.

But as he did so, he suddenly felt a hand catch his, halting him in his tracks.

Elijah turned back and saw that Elena had rolled over under the blanket to face him.

He smiled softly as he looked down to see her delicate hand resting in his, holding it tight.

"Please don't go," she said softly, blinking her eyes slowly, studying him

"I won't, if you don't want me to," Elijah replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed again

"I don't want you to…" she affirmed before sleep overwhelmed her again and she exhaled shallowly, her eyes closing and her hand relaxing in his.

Elijah smirked as he released her hand and pulled away slightly, immediately kicking off his dress shoes and untucking his dress shirt before unbuttoning it and pulling it off his shoulders and tossing it on the chair with his suit jacket, leaving him in his white undershirt and dress slacks.

He slid quietly into the spot next to her on the bed, propping a pillow behind his head as he laid back and turned on his side to face her, pulling the blanket up higher over her shoulders before bringing his hand to stroke her cheek gently… his eyes focusing on her as he watched her sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Mystic Falls, 1840**_

_The sound of piano music filled the hallway as Giuseppe Salvatore made his way down the main staircase of the Salvatore Mansion, straightening his shirt cuffs and the collar around his tie. _

_When he reached the bottom landing, he threw his suit jacket over his shoulders and checked his pocket watch, debating with himself whether or not to speak to his son before he left. _

_It was already half past five—if he didn't leave now, he told himself, he would be late for the Founders Council meeting at the church. _

_Giuseppe's eyes moved to the closed parlor doors, then he closed the cover of the watch hard and sighed, disgusted with himself. _

_It had been four months since his wife's death and he was still making excuses not to see or talk to his son—well, both of his sons._

_He didn't mean to ignore Damon, but, it was just so painful to look at him…he looked so much like his late wife, it hurt. _

_And the constant playing of the piano didn't help. _

_Deep down, he knew it was Damon's way of coping—Lucianna had been teaching him to play before she passed away—but it just made Giuseppe want to keep more of a distance. _

_Distance…_

_Giuseppe cursed himself as he walked past the parlor doors, glimpsing Damon sitting at the piano as he made his way down the hallway. _

_What decent Father would want to keep his distance from his six year-old son at a time like this? _

"_Celeste, I'm leaving!" Giuseppe called as he grabbed his hat from the coat tree near the back door and put it on his head, then reached for his cane. _

_Soon, the black housemaid appeared at the end of the hall, having ascended the stairs from the summer kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron._

"_Will you be home for dinner, Sir?" she asked _

"_No, I'll be dining with the Gilberts this evening," Giuseppe responded as he reached forward and opened the door, then stopped and turned back, his eyes shifting to the hall and the parlor doors again for a few moments, before he looked directly at Celeste, "Take care of him?" _

_Celeste gave a sympathetic smile and nodded, "Of course, Sir."_

"_Thank you," Giuseppe replied in a low voice as he turned and exited through the threshold and down the steps to the waiting carriage. _

_# # # # # # _

"_You ain't gonna consume that food by osmosis, boy..." Celeste chided as she squatted down next where Damon sat at the kitchen table, picking at the food on his plate with his fork.  
_

"_Not hungry," Damon said in a soft voice, leaning his head in his free hand as he stared down at his plate._

_Celeste frowned as brought her hand up to stroke his dark brown hair. _

_Finally, after letting out a sigh, Damon looked over to her._

"_May I be excused, please?" he asked _

_Celeste nodded solemnly as she stood_

"_I'll be up to draw your bath in a few minutes," she said, then watched as Damon dropped his fork and pushed back his chair, hopping down and dashing up the kitchen stairs to the first floor. _

_When he reached the hallway, Damon looked around the empty first floor with sad eyes, as he moved slowly toward the main staircase. _

_As he reached the landing, Damon automatically stopped and found himself turning toward the front parlor, his eyes focusing on what he'd seen out of the corner of his eye—the solo portrait of Lucianna Salvatore hanging over the fireplace mantle. _

_Even at a young age, Damon somehow knew that now life wouldn't be the same without his Mother. _

_His relationship with his Father over the last few months had proved that. _

_But, it wasn't just Damon that he was ignoring, he was also ignoring Damon's new brother. _

_Damon let out a staggered breath as he thought about that night—the night Stefan was born. _

_His Mother's labor had lasted far longer than anticipated and Damon could see by the way his Father paced in the hallway on the second floor that even he knew something was not right. _

_Then it happened. _

_After his brother was born, the baby was hustled from his parent's bedroom by one of the nurses and his Father rushed in without even gazing at his new son._

_Damon remembered being anxious to see his Mother after so many hours of having to stay away from her and getting up quickly from the window seat in the second floor hallway and moving to peer through the half-open door to see her. _

_How she was lying on the canopy bed… she looked like she was sleeping. _

_It wasn't until he saw Doctor Fell's face as he pulled his stethoscope from his ears after checking his Mother's pulse and turned toward his Father, that Damon knew something was terribly wrong. _

"_No…" he remembered hearing his Father whimper as he fell to his knees at the end of the bed, crumbling the sight of his pale and still wife, "There has to be something you can do to help her—Please…" _

_But, Doctor Fell just shook his head as he moved to comfort the new father and widower._

_A noise suddenly pulled Damon back to reality…it was a cry—a baby's cry. _

_Damon took in a sharp breath as he looked up the stairs to where the noise was coming from, then back to smiling portrait of his Mother. _

_As he took in her face for a few moments, the crying continued. _

_Where was the nurse? Damon thought to himself as he looked back up the staircase. _

_His Father had hired someone to care for the baby the last four months, since he didn't have the heart to have anything to do with him, yet. _

_Surely, she should be up there now and get him to stop crying._

_Damon looked back to his Mother's painting and suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. He shouldn't judge his Father. He, himself, hadn't even looked at his new brother since the night he watched nurse huddle the newborn out the door, leaving his dead mother behind. _

_Damon narrowed his eyes as his green irises met his Mother's behind the oil canvas. _

_And suddenly, he heard her voice in his head. _

"_Your brother needs you, Damon…" she whispered to him_

_Damon closed his eyes as he broke eye contact with the painting and turned back the staircase and his crying brother. _

_After taking in a breath to steady himself, he took hold of the railing and climbed the stairs, the baby's crying becoming louder as he made it to the second floor landing. _

_As he approached the nursery, Damon looked around for the wet nurse, but saw no one. _

_Cautiously, Damon peered around the threshold of the open door and swallowed nervously as he slowly approached the crib in the center of the room and his now screaming brother. _

_As he pushed back the tulle wrapped over the canopy top, Damon caught his first full glimpse of his baby brother and his breath caught, a warm feeling suddenly filling his chest. _

"_Hello Stefan, I'm Damon…" he said in a soft voice as he placed a hand on Stefan's chest, "Your big brother."  
_

_After a few moments, Stefan stopped crying and, as his wet eyes focused on his older brother, Damon couldn't help but smile a little. _

_His baby brother also had his Mother's eyes. _

"_It's alright…" Damon soothed, still rubbing the infant's chest gently as Stefan cooed, "I'm here. You're not alone." _

_Stefan flailed his arms and took hold of Damon's fingers with his small hand and Damon giggled at how strong his brother was. _

"_You've got a grip there," Damon smirked, wiggling his brother's hand_

_Then suddenly, he stopped, his face softening as he thought of his Mother. _

"_You know," Damon whispered, leaning over the edge of crib and looking down at his brother's hand still gripping his fingers, "You don't ever have to let go if you don't want to." _

_# # # # # # _

Damon smirked as he watched his brother sleep soundly on the couch from where he sat across the room.

They had been looking through some old family albums, drinking and reminiscing for hours after their piano serenade.

It was around 9:30 when Damon had looked up and found that he had lost his brother to slumber.

As creepy as it sounds, he had spent the last two hours just sitting in the leather recliner near the fireplace, watching his brother sleep—his chin resting gently on his chest, his scotch still in his hand.

Damon had missed this—all the centuries they had been apart—just _being_ with his brother. The truth was that Damon may have been angry at Stefan and felt he couldn't really ever trust him again after Katherine, but it didn't mean he ever stopped missing him or loving him all those centuries.

That was something time and space could never destroy—that bond that was formed the night Damon first looked into his baby brother's eyes.

Damon sighed as he finally sat up and put the lid on the picture box sitting in his lap, then pulled himself out of the chair and began collecting the albums and picture boxes scattered around the parlor, stacking them as quietly on the coffee table as he could without disturbing Stefan.

He then reached for the folded Afghan blanket on the end of the couch, unfolding it over his brother's lower half before gently removing the glass in Stefan's grip.

Just as the tumbler left his brother's fingers, Damon felt Stefan grabbed his hand.

"Thanks, Damon," he mumbled

"Sure, Stefan…" Damon smirked, looking down at his brother's hand in his.

Stefan took in a deep breath and his eyes opened heavily, focusing on Damon

"What if she never comes back?" he asked in a low voice, half-asleep

Damon squeezed his hand as he took a seat on the coffee table next to his brother.

"She _will_…" Damon encouraged, though he, himself, had doubts

"But what if she doesn't?" Stefan murmured, his eyes fluttering

Damon smiled as he watched Stefan fall back asleep

"Then, you'll still have me," he whispered


	13. Chapter 13

"Oh! It gets better, Caroline!" Kol laughed as he took a bite of Kung Pow chicken from one of the take-out boxes scattered on the coffee table in the living room as Rebekah sat forward on the couch next to him, taking over the story.

"So, there were are in St. Louis Cemetery in New Orleans," she said in an excited voice, "And we're face to face with this scary voodoo priestess who has just risen from her grave and is heading _straight_ towards us…"

"And that's when Klaus raises his hands and cries out, 'Don't hurt us, we're just three helpless _vampires_!'" Kol laughs, re-creating the motion with his own hands

"Well, I thought it would work at the time!" Klaus chuckled, his eyes adverting to Caroline as he dug through his own take out box with his chop sticks, "You know…_distract her_."

_"_Then what happened?" Caroline smirked, intrigued as her eyes moved to Kol, then Rebekah, and finally Klaus as she watched them consume their late night snack in silence for a moment, building the suspense with a shared smile, before Kol swallowed the bite in his mouth, then opened it again to speak, but was cut off.

"_Then,_ Elijah came along and saved all their asses…like usual," Misha chimed in as he walked into the room with a beer and a stack of napkins from the kitchen in his hands

"Ugh!" Rebekah cried, throwing up her hands up with a smile, "Do you _always _have to ruin the ending of all our stories like that?"

"I hate to break it to you, Honey," Misha laughed as he tossed the napkins on the coffee table and took a seat in the recliner, resting his beer bottle on his knee, "But, your older brother's been pulling your hindquarters out of the fire for over a thousand years…there isn't much to ruin in your story endings because the ending is_ always _the same."

Klaus chuckled as he took a drink from his own beer bottle then changed the subject.

"Kaspar still asleep?"

"Yeah…" Misha answered, a puzzled look crossing his face

"Did you check on him?" Klaus asked, taking in a mouthful of rice, "Is he still breathing?"

"Sadly, I _did _go up a couple of hours ago and check his vitals," Misha smirked, "He slapped my hand away and turned over and just continued to sleep soundly—maybe a little _too _soundly—"

"Oh, my God," Kol quipped, "Kaspar is sleeping _too soundly, _who do we speak to about this? Who do we fire? The Sandman? Because I've been wanting to stick it to that bastard for years!"

"Kol..." Klaus chided, then shook his head, "Don't."

"What?" Kol shrugged

"Because your quips are tacky," Caroline added matter-of-factually and Klaus covered his mouth to stifle his laughter, but Misha and Rebekah were not as successful.

After a few moments, as their laughter subsided, Rebekah leaned forward and broke open a fortune cookie.

"Try not to worry, Misha," she said in a reassuring voice, "he's probably just drained. I'm sure that fight with Mother was no picnic and probably took a toll physically, mentally _and _magically. You'll see, he'll sleep it off and be as good as new in a few hours."

"I'm sure Rebekah's right," Klaus tried to sooth the warlock, coming back to his senses, "And I know your worried-Kaspar is your only living sibling and you want to keep him safe- but try not to let your fears overwhelm you."

Misha scoffed, taking another swig from his beer bottle while keeping eye contact with the original

"Try not to let my fears overwhelm me?" he smirked sadly, "You know better than anyone, Nik, that in our world, there is _always_ something to fear."

Klaus put down his chopsticks on his plate and studied Misha with sad eyes for a moment and nodded before Caroline interjected, changing the subject.

"You had other siblings?" Caroline asked curiously

"I did," Misha said softly, turning and focusing his attention on her, "Four besides Kaspar. An older sister, Glorianna-'Gloria'-, an older brother, Octavian, and two younger brothers—twins—Luka and Dominic."

"What happened to them?" Caroline suddenly found herself asking, consequently finding all three pairs of Mikaelson eyes on her.

"Gloria was a witch, she worked for Klaus and died at the hands of Katerina Petrova," Misha answered automatically, "Octavian we lost to werewolves… and the twins—"

Misha suddenly stopped, closing his eyes in pain.

Then after a moment, the warlock opened his eyes and said softly, his voice breaking, "Excuse me, won't you? I—it's late and I've had too much liquor and Lo Mein to continue this conversation right now."

Then he took one last swig from his beer, setting the empty bottle gently on a side table, before gracefully lifting himself out of the recliner and leaving the room.

"Uh! I _never _know when to keep my mouth shut," Caroline said in a relenting voice, throwing her face in her hands when the warlock had disappeared from view, "It's like some horrible sickness—"

"It's alright, Love," Klaus soothed, putting a hand on her knee, "It's just that, where we come from, some things are better left forgotten."

"You mean Misha's siblings—how they all died?" Caroline asked, raising her head and looking at him, but Klaus didn't answer right away

"Just the youngest ones really...the twins..." Kol said softly, "They were..."

"Like _I said_," Klaus said, giving Kol a look that told him to keep his mouth shut, "Some things are better left forgotten."

# # # # # #

A cold breeze blew through Stephens woods as an owl landed high in the branches of one of the oak trees clustered around the Felghram star—the ritual site of the Vikings—it's bright yellow eyes blinking in the moonlight and it's head turning to look down at the large amount of blood still soaking into the ground below.

It was Matt Donovan's blood, though his body was long gone and buried by the Salvatore Brothers after his sacrifice at Kaspar's hand, that had initially attracted the bird's hunting senses.

And when the owl realized that there was nothing dead or wounded to feed in the sacred circle, it let out a hoot and flew off into the night in search of new prey.

Moments later, a tattooed, mulatto-skinned arm pushed through the bloody soil and grass in the center of the Felghram star and stretched out, grasping hold of the ground, and soon a shoulder appeared, then a neck and a head...

As the dark warrior drew his first breath in a thousand years and opened his new eyes.

# # # # # #

Misha sighed as he splashed cold water on his face in the upstairs bathroom, keeping his eyes closed as he turned off the faucet and reached out blindly for the hand towel…though it seemed closer than he thought the hanging rack was.

Misha took the towel, opening his eyes as he dried his face, resting them on the figure now standing in front of him.

"Liliya," he breathed, "What—what are you doing here? I thought you crossed over after we sent Esther back."

"Not quite yet," she said in a solemn voice, "As for why I'm here-I'm here because I need your help. I think Elijah and his siblings may be in danger, again."

"There is always something to fear…" Misha whispered, revisiting his words from his conversation with Klaus, lowering the towel from his face with a sigh

Liliya nodded, her eyes sad, "And, in this case, _someone_."

Misha narrowed his eyes, "Any idea who?"

"There are whispers in the spirit realm of a hunter rising in Mystic Falls…" Liliya replied, but Misha cut her off

"Wait...a _hunter_?" Misha asked curiously, "You mean a _vampire_ hunter?"

Liliya gave Misha knowing look before nodding again

"But, Mikael is dead," Misha continued, "and we've encountered more than our fair share of hunters over the centuries, but I haven't seen one in _well_ over two hundred years. What would one be doing in Mystic Falls after all this time? And what do the spirits mean by a hunter 'rising'?"

"All I know is that blood spilled on sacred earth brought him here," Liliya replied in a hesitant voice, "And...there's...more...it's why I came to _you_ and not Elijah or the others."

Misha turned his head in curiosity, but said nothing, waiting for Liliya to continue

"The spirits say that this hunter was born and died in Mystic Falls, that he is dark skinned," Liliya said, closing her eyes and took in a deep breath, "And he has... Nordic tattoos."

Misha's breath caught and his face fell, turning ashen as he stumbled against the sink to support himself.

"Dominic..." he whispered


	14. Chapter 14

"I—I can't believe it…" Misha said, his voice unsteady

"I'm sorry…" Liliya said softly, "I remember him...Dominic, I mean. He was once Elijah's apprentice…a kind soul—"

"You mean before the spirits turned him and Luka on his family and friends?" Misha retorted sadly

"Misha, you know very well that it's not that simple…" Liliya soothed, stepping forward, "What happened to him wasn't his fault—"

"No. It _is_ that simple, Liliya," Misha replied, his voice tinged with anger, "Dominic turned on us and he paid the price."

Then the warlock closed his eyes and rested his face in his hands with a heavy sigh as a silence fell between him and the spirit of the original doppelganger.

After studying him for a few moments with sad eyes, Liliya finally spoke.

"What do you want to do?" she asked, "If it's true—if Dominic really has found his way back into the mortal world, then we need to have a plan."

Misha wiped under his tear-stained eyes as he lifted his face from his palms then straightened, pushing himself off of the sink and trying to pull himself together.

"Yes we do…" Misha said, "And I know where to start."

"You do?" Liliya asked surprised, her eyes following him as he moved to the bathroom door

"Kaspar," Misha replied, casting a glance over his shoulder

# # # # #

"I don't understand…" Liliya whispered as she followed Misha through the threshold into the dark bedroom, the figure of Kaspar asleep under the blankets on the Queen size bed.

"I had a feeling something was going on—call it a 'witchy' sense or even just brotherly instinct—but I knew it was strange for someone to sleep_ that_ long without going through a growth spurt, a serious illness, taking drugs or having a _serious_ hang over," Misha replied in a soft voice, his eyes falling on his sleeping brother as he rounded the end of the bed, coming to Kaspar's side, "I probably should have done this sooner… but I guess it's better late than never."

Soon Liliya next to him, watching him as he took in a deep breath, closing his eyes and focusing his magical and psychic energies.

Then after a few moments, he slowly reached out his hand and rested it on the side of his sleeping brother's head.

Misha took in a sharp breath, closing his eyes tighter as he searched his brother's mind for a few minutes, before suddenly pulling back his hand as if burned and giving a sharp cry, willing himself out of his trance and opening his eyes

Then he quickly moved forward and shook his brother's shoulder.

"Kaspar! Kaspar wake up!" he urged, but Kaspar didn't stir

"_Damn it._.." he finally whispered

"Misha?" Liliya asked, concerned as the warlock held his hand to his chest and doubled over

"Kaspar's not alone," Misha breathed, his voice pained, "Someone's with him right now—in his mind—in his _dreams."_

"Could you see who?" Liliya replied, raising an eyebrow

"No," Misha shook his head as he straightened slowly, still cradling his hand, "But, whoever it is, they're strong—_too_ strong—and I got the feeling that they didn't want me there—they kicked me out of his head…and they weren't delicate about it either."

"What do we do?"

"There is really nothing we can do, but wait until he wakes up," Misha sighed, staring down again at Kaspar's sleeping form,"I got the feeling that the visitor in Kaspar's dreams doesn't want to harm him—just be heard—and they're keeping Kaspar under until they've had their say."

# # # # #

"Did you have to be so _rude_?" Kaspar said with disdain, turning back to face his younger brother where they stood in the blindingly white room in his mind, "Misha was only—"

"The fewer people that know I'm here, the better," Luka replied with a shrug

"Just finish what you're here to say and be done with it…" Kaspar replied, folding his arms across his chest and narrowing his eyes, "So your ghost basically hitched a ride through when we opened the portal to spirit world and sent Esther back? And now you say that Dominic has somehow returned to Mystic Falls after a thousand years?"

"Yes," Luka affirmed,

"How?" Kaspar retorted, "He's dead."

"The sacred ground where his body rests has been disturbed, recently marked by death, and, as a result, the soil that Mother and Esther created to be his prison beneath the power of the Felghram star has released him."

"Oh my God," Kaspar whispered, closing his eyes in realization, "I didn't-it's been _so long_…I didn't even _think_… Matt Donovan's blood… He sacrificed his life so Klaus could live again in Ioan's body…it must have finally completed the spell I tried to do a thousand years ago."

Luka nodded, "The boy's sacrifice would have marked the ground and been the innocent blood needed to resurrect Dominic to mortal form again."

"This is my all my fault…" Kaspar whispered

"Kaspar, we need to focus..." Luka continued, trying to meet his brother's eyes, "you know the devastation Dominic caused when he was alive. He was a skilled and feared hunter on a mission from the spirits—"

"You _both_ were," Kaspar added with a raised eyebrow

"Touche," Luka smirked, then after a moment continued, "So you know that we cannot let him roam free. Not only is it against the balance of nature—"

"Wait..._hold on_...you think because I am a necromancer, I don't understand the balance of nature?" Kaspar scoffed

"I think you let your personal feelings confuse what is natural and what is _unnatural_, yes...and then you use your magical gifts to change fate. Take Octavian for example, and how you ripped his soul out of Valhalla to bring back the Mikaelson boy and ease the pain of your friend's family_ or,_ better yet, when Dominic was slain—"

"And just what do _you _know about souls?" Kaspar shot back, "Thanks to the spirits, you don't even _have_ one."

Luka narrowed his eyes, trying to decide whether he was impressed or hurt by his older brother's comment.

"Can we put up the white flag now?" he finally sighed and Kaspar nodded, relenting

Then after a few moments of silence, Kaspar spoke first.

"I understand what's at stake here," he sighed sadly, "_And_ I understand what you're implying...and that you're _right._ My actions have brought this upon us and it's _my_ responsibility to ensure that things are made right—that, if what you say is true, I do what I can to stop him—"

"And bring him down, no matter what your feelings?" Luka asked, still concerned

Kaspar nodded

"And bring him down…" he affirmed, "though I'm not sure how _exactly_ I'm going to do it. I _reverse _death, Luka, I don't—"

"That is why I am here. I may be able to help in that regard," Luka interjected, "You see, when I wasn't traveling around the world hunting vampires, werewolves and other unnatural creatures, I spent most of my mortal existence trying to decode something that never made sense to me from the beginning…"

There was a moment of silence as their eyes locked and Luka smirked as the middle-aged version of the brother Kaspar last saw as a teenager, held out his arm, riddled with spiraling tattoos featuring Norse imagery and an unknown symbolic language.

"Our tattoos," Luka finished, "I found out through centuries of research that they're not meaningless. In them lies our strength...but, _also_, our weakness."

Kaspar cocked his head, studying the inked arm his brother now presented to him, "You think that the key to stopping Dominic is on your arm?"

"Not _my_ arm technically…" Luka replied, "_His." _

# # # # # #

Misha made his way quickly down the upstairs hallway.

Kaspar would be awake in another couple of hours if all went well, but until then, he needed answers to other questions.

Tossing his leather jacket over his shoulders as he reached the main staircase, the warlock stopped dead in his tracks as he suddenly came face-to-face with Rebekah and Kol as they ascended the stairs.

The original siblings froze on the top landing, too, when they saw him.

"Oh...Hi," Misha said in a low voice, a surprised look on his face

"'Hi', yourself..." Kol said, cocking his head curiously, studying the warlock

"Headed to bed?" Misha asked in a nervous voice

"Sort of..." Rebekah said, waving a stack of DVDs in her hand, "Kol and I thought we'd make it a 'Red Box' night."

"Sounds fun..." Misha said, clearly distracted

"And where are _you_ headed so late in the evening?" Rebekah inquired, raising an eyebrow

"Uh...just out," Misha said quickly, zipping up the front of his jacket

"Are you alright, Mate?" Kol added in a low voice, studying Misha's face, his own suddenly filling with worry

"Fine," Misha lied, "I...I just need some...air...that's all. Too many memories kicking around inside my head to sleep."

Rebekah cast a glance at Kol out of the corner of her eye, causing them both to think about the earlier conversation downstairs about Misha's siblings.

"Do you want one of us to go with you?" Kol suggested, not knowing what else to say

"No..." Misha said, shoving his hands in his pockets, knowing that Liliya's spirit would meet him outside and go with him to Stephens woods, "I'll be fine. I won't go far, maybe just a walk around the block to clear the cobwebs."

"Okay," Rebekah smiled softly, then grabbed Kol's arm, pulling him out of the way so Misha could pass, watching as the warlock gave one last glance over his shoulder, before descending the stairs.

The siblings stood there in silence for a few moment, listening with their vampire hearing as Misha left the house, the front door closing behind him...

But they immediately looked at each other in shock when they heard something they _didn't_ expect-something that caused them to move with vampire speed to the bay window at the end of the hallway.

# # # # #

"Well, I'll see you in the morning, Love?" Klaus smiled, gently releasing Caroline's hand and moving to step back toward the door to her bedroom

"Wait." Caroline said, quickly, stepping forward, reclaiming his hand in hers, "Don't...Don't leave me."

Klaus searched her eyes for a few moments.

He wanted nothing more than to stay with her, but his heart also ached for her and her loss.

Would he be taking advantage of her and he situation if he stayed?

"Caroline..." he whispered, disapprovingly

But Caroline ignored his comment, suddenly bringing her hands up to rest on his shoulders, keeping eye contact with him as she stepped closer to him.

Klaus' breath caught in his chest as felt her pull him to her, all thoughts of keeping his distance from her dissipating as their eyes and souls connecting for what felt like an eternity before Caroline slowly leaned forward and captured his lips in hers.

Without thinking, Klaus growled, wrapping his hands tighter around her waist, drinking in her scent and the taste of the strawberry lip gloss dancing over his tongue as his mouth melded with hers, while Caroline moved her own hands to his shirt collar, grabbing tightly, pulling him closer...

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Initially, they ignored it, kissing passionately until Caroline sighed and found the strength to pull away, leaving both her and Klaus breathless as they stared at each other.

"Come in," she said finally, her eyes moving to the door as she tried to pull herself together

"And whoever it is," Klaus mumbled as he turned to follow her gaze, "I'm gonna _kill_ them..."

Immediately, Rebekah opened the door and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"For the _love of God,_ Rebekah, this better be another 'Mikaelson Family Emergency' or else-"

"It _is_ an emergency," Rebekah said quickly, "Misha's gone!"

Klaus immediately released Caroline and moved toward his sister with worried eyes, "What do mean he's _gone_?!"

"Kol and I ran into him in the hallway just now...he was on his way out...he said something about needing to take a walk around the block," Rebekah said her voice, quickly turning to panic, "But his _face_...something was _wrong, _Nik!"

"And Misha didn't 'walk' _anywhere," _Kol interjected, coming to Rebekah's side at the threshold,"Bekah and I just watched him get into his car and drive off."

"But he would never leave Kaspar..." Klaus said, his eyes narrowing in thought

"Like I said, something's _wrong,_ Nik," Rebekah insisted

Klaus gave a quick look to Caroline over his shoulder, then moved toward his siblings.

"Kol, you and Rebekah get the car. I'll get my jacket."

# # # # # #

"Oh...no...no..." Misha sighed, his chest clenching at the sight of the broken ground in the center of the Felghram star.

"So it's true," Liliya whispered as she watched Misha kneel down at the star's edge, touching the blood soaking the ground

"And it all comes full circle," the warlock whispered in a sad voice, taking in the sight at his feet

"What do you mean?" Liliya asked

"To release the dark soul and stop Esther, Kaspar had to trap Matt Donovan in the Felghram star, then do the rituals to send Octavian back to our ancestors," Misha replied, turning to look up at her, "But, Kaspar knew the human the dark soul was using as a vessel would die, so he convinced Matt Donovan to be the sacrifice we needed to not only send Octavian back, but balance the scales so we could resurrect Klaus in Ioan's body..."

Misha trailed off for a moment, closing his eyes in pain as he turned his head back to the Felghram star.

"It's ironic how easily Kaspar forgets his beginnings..." he finally whispered, opening his eyes again, "that his greatest sin was beneath his feet the whole time. And it's ironic that the boy's mortal blood completed a thousand year-old ritual Kaspar was never able to finish and inadvertently resurrected our vampire hunter brother, just when we thought we could breathe easy again."

"It sounds like something out of Greek mythology," Liliya said softly

"Or a television soap opera," Misha replied, pulling himself back up to his feet

"So what are we going to do?" Liliya asked, her voice growing with concern, "We can't just have a rogue vampire hunter in Mystic Falls. If he's out there we need to find him before..."

"He finds any vampires." Misha finished, then sighed, "I just wish Kaspar was awake so he could provide some insight on this and I_ really_ want to know who he's talking to in that noggin of his. But, you're right, we should track Dominic as soon as possible... but if we find him, then what? Elijah and Klaus took him down together a thousand years ago, but something tells me he's going to be _alot_ harder to kill this time around."

"Nik, Elijah and the others are in danger," Liliya reasoned, "We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Yeah, and hope that the natives didn't burn it down or booby trap it..." Misha mumbled

"Well," Liliya said, "I think we should come clean to the others and let them know what's going on before Dominic pays them a visit."

"Yeah...we should go," Misha said absentmindedly, giving one last look at the star, before turning to make his way back to the Jeep, "But, luckily we have some time, the mansion is on the far side of town and the only vampires between here and there are..."

Immediately he stopped, his eyes widening in fear as he quickly turned to Liliya.

"The Salvatores."

# # # # #

Damon gave one last look through the parlor doors to his sleeping brother on the couch, then turned off the light in the foyer and ascended the main staircase to the second floor of the mansion.

He had just made it inside his room and closed the door, when his vampire hearing picked up what sounded like a noise downstairs.

Damon narrowed his eyes and cocked his head, listening for signs that it might be Stefan...or someone else.

Just then Damon's pocket buzzed.

He sighed, quickly pulled it out of his jean pocket and checked the caller ID.

Not recognizing the number and concerned about his brother, he hit the Ignore button on the touchscreen and sheathed the phone back into his pocket before making his way back toward the bedroom door, pausing at the threshold for a moment, listening, before stealthily walking down the hall.

When he reached the top landing of the staircase, Damon looked cautiously over the railing, opening his sense of smell and hearing...

Then his pocket buzzed again.

Damon rolled his eyes and quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and saw the caller ID.

It was the mystery caller again.

Frustrated, Damon hit Answer and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Damon, Thank god!" A relieved voice sounded on the other end of the line, "It's Misha."

"Look Mr. Warlock, now is not _exactly_ a good time..." Damon whispered as he peered over the railing again and moved toward the top stairs, descending slowly

"Damon, you're in danger," Misha interjected, "There's no time to explain at length, but it's a vampire hunter... and he's probably on his way to your house _right now_-"

"Uh...I think he's _already here_..." Damon interrupted in a low whisper, his eyes widening as he slowed his descent to a halt on the stairs and took in the sight below...the front door to the mansion slightly ajar and moonlight beaming into the foyer.

"Damon, you have to listen to me," Misha said, his voice immediately turning urgent, "Don't do anything rash or stupid. This hunter is not like any other you've faced. Just, get Stefan and get-"

But, Damon lowered the phone before Misha could finish his sentence.

He'd be damned if he was going to let a human vampire hunter get the best of him in his own house...

As Damon reached the bottom landing and crept his way along the main hall, he continued to listen for the intruder, even hoping pick up his scent...but there was neither a noise, nor a scent to indicate where this hunter could be.

Damon narrowed his eyes.

That's unusual...

As he moved along the wall, he cautiously craned his head into the back parlor and immediately, his heart jumped into his throat, his face ashen as he dropped the phone on the marble floor.

"Damon..." Stefan whimpered, his body held in a tight grasp by the intruder.

He was a tall mulatto man with a muscular, who looked to be in his late teens or early twenties, with a scar over his right eye and tattoos spiraling down the side of his face and his bare arms. He was dressed in leather from head to toe, a sword his hip and a knife in a holder strap around his thigh.

But the only weapon Damon really took notice of was the wooden stake he had poised over his brother's heart with one hand, while he held him firmly around the throat with the other.

Damon's mind reeled.

If Stefan had been drinking bunnies again, it made sense that a human vampire hunter could overpower him like this.

But, Stefan had been drinking human blood for some time now...how was what Damon was seeing, possible?

"It's nice of you to join us," the man suddenly spoke in a thick Germanic accent, "Is there anyone else in the house?"

Damon shook his head.

"Good," Dominic smirked, then cast his eyes at Stefan, raising the stake poised over the younger Salvatore's heart, and before Damon could move forward, the vampire hunter struck.

"_NO!_!" Damon screamed, watching in horror as Dominic drove the stake straight through Stefan's heart and Stefan gasped in shock.

Damon angrily surged forward, determined to rip the hunter's head off, but Dominic stopped Damon's advanced with a swift block from his free arm, stunning him before taking hold of the older brother by the shirt collar and effortlessly tossing him across the room.

Dominic's eyes then moved back to Stefan as the vampires widened eyes, that were once focused on the hunter in shock, slowly began to gloss over and fade as his skin hardened, turning an ash gray and he stopped struggling.

Meanwhile, Damon groaned in anger as he quickly pulled himself to his feet from where he had fallen against a far wall, determined to have another go at the hunter.

But, he stopped immediately, his body overwhelmed with shock and intense grief, when his eyes fell upon Dominic as the hunter finally released Stefan from his grip and his baby brother fell lifeless to the floor, the stake still protruding from his chest.

"Now that I have your attention," Dominic said, turning swiftly toward Damon, "I want you to deliver a message to my brothers for me..." then smirked, "Man må dø, slik at man kan leve."

Damon immediately stepped forward, his senses returning, but in a burst of speed that could rival a vampire, the hunter was gone.

"Stefan!" Damon cried, his voice breaking as he flew to his brother's side, taking him into his arms.

"Stefan," he whispered again, but, it didn't take Damon long to realize that his brother was beyond help as he brought his hand to Stefan's face and tentatively felt his hardened gray skin.

"No..." Damon whispered, his eyes moving from Stefan's face to the stake in his chest as his mind wrapped around the idea that his brother was dead, "You can't leave me..._Please,_ brother..."

It was almost as if he was waiting for his brother to answer as Damon studied Stefan's still face for a few moments, the tears quickly filling his eyes.

He sobbed uncontrollably as he pulled his little brother to him, just as he had always done when Stefan was little and had woken in the night from a nightmare in the room they shared as young boys, cradling Stefan's head to his chest as he rocked back and forth.

The movement had always comforted Stefan, but this time, it wasn't Stefan who needed the comforting...

# # # # #

Ten miles away, in the front seat of his parked Jeep, Misha sighed, tears coming to his own eyes as he finally hung up his end of the phone.

Even after Damon had dropped the phone in the hallway, Misha had heard everything...

Stefan's gasp...

Damon's scream...

Dominic's words...

And the sound of an older brother's unfathomable grief.


	15. Chapter 15

Misha closed his eyes, preparing himself for what he was about to encounter as he slowly pushed the half-open front door of the Salvatore mansion the rest of the way and crossed the threshold into the dark foyer.

He opened his eyes and looked around, assessing the surroundings as he made his way quietly down the hallway looking for Damon.

It didn't take long.

As he passed the first room along the corridor, Misha immediately stopped as he encountered the cell phone Damon dropped just outside the French doors, his breath catching as he looked up and in through the glass and took in the sight of the older Salvatore brother on the floor in the center of the room, still clutching Stefan in his arms.

"Damon…" Misha said in a low voice, announcing himself as not to startle the vampire

But, Damon didn't flinch or even acknowledge the warlock's presence

"Misha!"

Misha turned back quickly as he watched Klaus rush through the front door, Rebekah and Kol hot on his heels.

"What the Hell is _this_?" Misha asked, confused as the originals moved down the hallway towards him

"We were worried," Kol said, "Bekah and I saw you leave—"

"So we followed you and then we saw you're parked outside," Rebekah interjected, "What are you doing here? What's going on?"

Suddenly, all three of the siblings stopped when they reached the warlock's side at the threshold of the back parlor and took in the sight before them.

"Oh, my God…" Klaus whispered, his face paling at the sight of the younger Salvatore with a stake protruding from his chest.

"_Stefan…_" Rebekah whimpered softly, her voice breaking before she brought her hand to her mouth in shock

"What happened here?" Kol asked, turning to Misha, a stunned expression crossing his face

"I'll tell you what happened…" a voice suddenly rose from the center of the room and the originals and Misha all turned, their eyes quickly focusing on the source.

It was Damon Salvatore.

His eyes were red and his lip trembling as he peered at them over his shoulder, still holding his brother's body.

"It was a vampire hunter…he killed..." Damon stopped for a moment, closing his eyes as he struggled to say the words, "He killed _my brother_."

"It was Dominic…He's back," Misha added in a low voice, looking to the stunned originals with a knowing look

"How is that even _possible_?" Rebekah asked, lowering her hand from her mouth, still in shock as she looked to her brothers, their minds also visibly reeling.

"Ask the warlock," Damon said bitterly as he lowered Stefan gently to the floor and stood to face them

"_Damon_…" Klaus said softly, seeing the brooding anger in the vampire's eyes and stepping forward to meet the older Salvatore as he started walking intently toward Misha

"You _knew_…" Damon said, his eyes focusing on the warlock harshly, "You called me…you knew he was coming!"

"Hold up, Mate!" Klaus said as he intercepted Damon, placing one hand on his chest to slow him and taking hold of his arm with the other

"You were who he was talking about—his message—he knew you'd find me, that's why he killed Stefan—you're brother he was talking about! You _and_ Kaspar! What did you _do?!"_ Damon screamed, struggling against Klaus, "Let go of me!"

"Damon—"Rebekah said, stepping forward

"Zip it, Barbie!" Damon snapped at her, then looked back to Misha, "My brother's blood is on _your _hands, Warlock! Don't deny it!"

"I didn't know until it was too late…really…Damon, I'm _so sorry,"_ Misha said softly, moving forward, holding his hands out in a sigh of remorse.

But Damon just scoffed, pulling himself hard out of Klaus' grasp, turning and walking back toward his brother's body.

"Damon," Rebekah said, tears coming to her eyes as she quickly walked past Klaus, following Damon to the center of the room and grabbing him on the shoulder, "Please, _listen_—"

"Don't," Damon said, shrugging away, his eyes so sad it made Rebekah's heart crumble and slowly pull her hand back, "_Please_…_don't_….just leave me alone…"

Then he turned away and fell to his knees again at his brother's side.

"You should know," Rebekah whispered, closing her eyes, whether Damon heard her or not, "That Misha isn't to blame for what Dominic is…"

Then she opened them, looking back over her shoulder to Klaus and Kol as the tears started to stream down her cheeks.

"We are."

# # # # # #

_NEW WORLD, 1044 A.D.  
_

"_Well done, today, Dominic," Elijah said with a smile, grasping his young apprentice's shoulder as they exited the ferrying barn on the far side of the village, "Now, tomorrow, we'll work more on clipping the hooves. It's important to remember—" _

"_Ah…right on time as usual," Misha interrupted, smirking as he approached the pair with Dominic's twin, Luka, at his side, "I could always set a sundial by you, Elijah." _

_Dominic eased himself out of his mentor's grasp and trotted over to meet his twin, taking a pack from Luka's hand and chatting away with his brother. _

"_Going on another camp out in the woods?" Elijah asked, stopping in front of the warlock and surveying the supplies on his friend's back._

_Misha sighed, rolling his eyes good naturedly. _

"_Ah…you know…brother bonding," he shrugged then slapped Elijah playfully on the arm, "You should try it." _

"_With my brothers?" Elijah scoffed with a smile, "Are you joshing me? Finn's with Sage all the time, Kol isn't exactly warm and fuzzy these days, and Ioan and Nik don't like to sleep on the ground. Besides, I'm spending enough time teaching them to control themselves and not kill villagers…"_

_Misha's eyes softened, "It will get easier." _

"_I hope so…" Elijah smirked sadly then watched his friend turn to his teenage brothers, rough housing with each other_

"_Hei__dere to__! __Slutt med det__!" Misha shouted and they instantly stopped, Dominic releasing Luka from a headlock, then smacking him on the back of the head with a giggle when Misha turned back to Elijah._

"_We'd better head out before it gets too dark…" Misha said, looking up to sky and the crescent moon starting to make its appearance in the orange autumn sky, then rolling his eyes again, "Or they kill each other." _

"_Just try to bring my apprentice back tomorrow in one piece," Elijah teased then smiled, looking around Misha as someone else came into view. _

_Misha followed Elijah's gaze over his shoulder to Liliya, standing about fifty paces away with a water bucket under her arm and a gentle smile, waiting for him to walk her home. _

"_Speak for yourself…" Misha said in a low voice, turning back to his best friend and giving a wink _

"_Watch your tongue," Elijah chuckled, before moving past the warlock to his meet his fiancee. _

_# # # # #_

_Misha lay on the grass by the fire, looking over to Luka and Dominic already asleep a few feet away, then up to the stars in the sky with wonder, working his mind, trying to find the constellations. _

_Suddenly, a cold breeze blew over them through the trees…_

_A strong one…_

_So strong it blew out the camp fire. _

_Misha immediately sat up, his mind and heart racing, his hand quickly moving to rest on the sword sheathed at his hip as he took in his surroundings. _

_But, he didn't see or hear anything unusual besides the creepy, cold, and super strong wind._

_And then it happened. _

_Luka's eyes flew open, his eyes turning completely black as his body went rigid. _

"_Luka…" Misha said in a low voice, confused as to what's happening, trying to get to his feet and move to his brother's side_

_But before he could, he heard a scream. _

"_Dominic…" Misha whispered in realization, looking over to his brother's twin as he now writhed in pain, his eyes also flying open and completely consumed in black. _

_He ripped the front of his white tunic shirt as he continued to scream in pain…_

_Soon, Misha didn't know where to look or what to do as Luka followed suit, also writhing on his back and tearing at his shirt and vest. _

_Misha moved quickly to their side, kneeling down between the two teenagers, but it seemed like there was nothing he could do to help. _

_What was happening to them seemed invisible…_

_Then, suddenly, it wasn't. _

_Misha's eyes widened in shock as he watched markings—tattoos really—start to appear on his brothers' skin, snaking down their arms and chests simultaneously, burning into their flesh. _

_Luka and Dominic continued to writhe and scream, Misha bringing his hand to his mouth in stunned silence, his eyes moving from one brother to the other, not sure what to do._

_As the markings continued to make their way down the brothers' bodies, they arched their backs off the ground, then when the markings ceased, then lowered themselves hard onto the ground with a thud. _

_Finally, they stopped screaming and their eyes cleared. _

_Misha surged forward toward Luka. _

"_Luka!" he cried, taking his brother's face in his hands and studying it, taking note of the tattoo that was now spiraling down the left side of his face as his brother came groggily out of the state he was in. _

_When his eyes connected with Misha's, the warlock smiled…but, Luka didn't. _

_His face remained placid for a few moments, searching his older brother's face almost as if he didn't recognize him. _

_Misha noticed that Luka looked different…older somehow…_

_It was then that Misha realized something was wrong. _

_Luka narrowed his eyes and suddenly, in an instant, with speed and agility that matched any vampire, Luka was out of Misha grasp and on his feet on the other side of the fire pit, his tattoos reflecting in the moonlight. _

_Moments later, also moving with inhuman speed, Dominic was at his side. _

_Misha rose slowly, studying his seemingly 'new' brothers _

"_Luka…" he said, looking from one brother to the other, "Dominic…are you alright?" _

_The teens studied their respective bodies for a moment then looked to each other, their eyes locking for a few moments as if sharing a silent secret. _

_Finally, Luka closed his eyes moved his head from side to side fluidly, breathing in the scent on the night air. _

_When his eyes opened, Misha saw something unnatural and predatory in them. _

"_Vampires are nearby…" Luka said in a steady voice, a voice that sounded different than his own—much older and wiser than his eighteen years—as he quickly looked back over to Dominic. _

_His twin gave a short nod then their eyes darkened as they simultaneously swung their heads around to look at Misha. _

_Misha's face fell and fear rose into his throat. _

_Absentmindedly, he lowered his hand to the sword on his hip. _

_Seeing him make his move, the brothers struck. _

_At his side in an instant, Dominic knocked Misha's hand from his sword, pulling it behind his back, then kicking his feet out from under him as Luka snapped their older brother's neck cleanly and the warlock fell to the ground. _

_Then, gathering their weapons, including Misha's sword and ankle knife, they armed themselves and ran off into the night._

_# # # # # _

_Misha coughed hard, then sucked in a deep breath as his eyes opened and he rolled over onto his stomach, bringing himself unsteadily to his hands and knees as he took in his surroundings with blurred vision. _

_He looked down to the eternity ring on his right hand and smirked, then blinked hard for a moment before finally pulling himself to his feet. _

_The campsite was abandoned and Misha sighed when he brought his hand to his belt and realized they had taken his sword. _

_He brought his hand to his aching head, his mind reeling._

_They had actually snapped his neck...  
_

_Tried to kill him..._

_How long had he been out? _

_Suddenly, a realization hit him as he brought his hand down slowly from his head. _

"_Vampires are…nearby…" he whispered, remembering his brother's words, his eyes narrowing for a moment before widening, "Oh…oh…no…"_

_Misha turned quickly toward the woods in the direction of the village. _

"_Elijah…" he said softly_

_He didn't know how much of a head start his brothers had, but immediately he knew that he had to do something…warn them all that they were in danger._

_Misha spun in a circle, looking around the camp, then out into the woods on the far side near the quarry. _

_That is when he saw it…about a two hundred feet in the distance…his salvation... _

_The old watchtower. _

_# # # # # # # _

_Liliya gasped, a small smile crossing her lips as Elijah rolled them over and she fell back naked on the bed and Elijah came down slowly on top of her, hitching up her left leg with his strong hands and changing the angle of their connecting bodies. _

_The original doppelganger moaned as he kissed up her chest to her chin, then captured her lips as he continued his ministrations, their mouths tangling as they worked toward their climaxes. _

_After a few moments, Elijah pulled his lips away from her, caressing his hand softly down the side of her neck as he moved above her, watching her eyes flutter and her chocolate irises dilate._

"_Elijah…" she whispered in a wanting voice and watched her lover's face instantly change at her words—the veins protruding under his eyes dark eyes and his fangs extending—causing her to let out another gasp and close her eyes in pleasure as Elijah moved swift and precise to the side of her neck, sinking his fangs in and drinking deeply of her blood as she clutched hard at his bare back to gain leverage. _

_Then, as if reading her mind, he sat back, pulling her up with him into his lap as he continued to drink from her, but letting her take control of their movements, her body moving slowly in time with his thrusts._

_Suddenly, Elijah pulled himself away from her neck, breathless, stopping his movements as his eyes narrowed—the veins beneath them slowly receding and his fangs retracting. _

"_Do you hear that?" he asked softly, meeting her gaze_

_Liliya turned her head, listening intently as she tried to catch her breath._

_After a few moments, she immediately turned back to her fiance when she, too, picked up the distant sound. _

"_It sounds like a… bell?" she whispered, her eyes widening _

"_It's the watch tower…" Elijah said in sudden realization, gently removing her from his lap before leaving the bed with vampire speed to retrieve his clothes, "We're under attack!" _

"_From who?" Liliya asked, her eyes worried as she watched him dress quickly, wrapping the sheets around herself and smoothing her hair, "It's not yet the full moon." _

_Finally, when he had pulled on his trousers and his boots, Elijah turned back to her. _

"_I don't know, but to be safe, I need you to get my Mother, Ayanna, Rebekah, and the others to the caves…can you do that?" he asked _

"_Of course," Liliya nodded solemnly as she slid to the end of the bed and watched Elijah grab his sword belt and walk back to her. _

"_I love you…" he whispered, leaning down and giving her a passionate kiss on the lips before swiftly placing his bet around his waist and racing off with vampire speed into the night. _

_# # # # # # #_

_Klaus' eyes opened quickly and he sat up straight in his bed, his eyes focusing as his vampire hearing picked up a sound in the distance. _

_A bell._

"_The watch tower…" Klaus whispered, suddenly remembering the old watch tower in the woods, used by his people to warn of impending enemy attacks._

_He immediately shifted out of his own bed and turned to Kol, sleeping in the bed next to him_

"_Kol!" he shouted as he pulled his linen shirt over his head and grabbed his sword belt hanging on the bedpost_

"_Five more minutes…" Kol grumbled, turning over under his quilt. _

"_Blimey, Kol!" Klaus cried, pulling the quilt swiftly off his brother and across the room, "Someone's ringing the warning bell. The village is in danger. Get up!" _

"_Niklaus! Kol!" Mikael shouted, suddenly throwing open the bedroom door, his sword at the ready, "We need you outside! Hurry!" _

_Then in an instant, he disappeared. _

"_Kol!" Klaus turned back to his younger brother, shaking his shoulder_

"_I heard…I'm awake… I'm awake…" Kol groaned, his eyes fluttering open and pulling himself up in bed as Klaus finished tying his sword belt around his waist and took off with vampire speed out of the room. _

"_Damn werewolves!" Kol whined as he slid to the edge of the bed and reached for his boots_

_# # # # # _

"_Nik!" Elijah shouted, running up to his brother's side as Klaus walked out the front door of the Mikaelson home toward the center of the village where the men in town were assembling._

_Klaus eyed Elijah's half-naked figure for a moment, then smirked._

"_And just what were** you** doing?" he asked in a playful voice _

_Elijah rolled his eyes as he took the second sword Klaus handed him and spun it around expertly with his wrist. _

"_Can we talk about this later? We're in the middle of something serious right now," he replied_

"_Talk about what?" Finn asked, appearing on the other side of Elijah, throwing his bow quiver over his shoulder and stringing his bow as he walked next to his brothers_

"_Elijah's escapades—" Klaus started with a wicked smile, but Elijah interjected _

"_Niklaus!" he reprimanded _

"_Alright! I'm awake. I'm here..." Kol groaned, appearing with vampire speed at Klaus' side, spinning his sword in one hand and an axe in the other, "So what's happening?" _

"_Elijah!" a voice sounded nearby and the Mikaelson siblings immediately stopped in their tracks as Hammer Lochvud, a known town lycanthrope, called to them as he raced past, fifty paces away  
_

"_So…it's not the werewolves after all?" Kol whispered, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he looked over to his brothers_

"_We need more men on the east side of the village!" Hammer called and Elijah nodded _

"_You heard him…" Elijah said, turning toward his brothers, "Niklaus and I will head to the east side with Hammer. Finn, gather the other archers and stay back near the center of the village in case they get past us."_

_Finn nodded and took off._

"_Kol," Elijah said, turning toward his youngest brother, "I need you to head to the caves and stand guard, in case the village is taken, to protect the women and children,"  
_

"_But—" Kol protested _

"_Kol…" Elijah interjected, "Please?" _

"_Fine," Kol relented, then sped off _

_Taking in a deep breath and sharing a look with Klaus, Elijah turned, his brother on his heels as they headed toward the east side of the village. _

_When they arrived, they found their Father standing among the twenty some-odd village men who formed a torch-lit line on the eastern boundary, looking out into night and to the tree line of the surrounding woods. _

"_Why isn't anything happening?" Klaus asked, studying the wooded tree line_

"_Silence," Mikael reprimanded, "Listen…" _

_Klaus fell silent and cocked his head, mirroring Elijah as they both listened with their vampire hearing._

"_Footsteps…" Elijah breathed, "But, no more than maybe…"  
_

_"Two people?" Klaus interjected, his eyes narrowing in confusion_

"_Well, whoever rang that warning bell thinks they are two **very** dangerous people," Mikael whispered, his eyes still glued to the tree line. _

_Then, suddenly, as if on cue, two figures stepped out of the tree line into the field facing the village._

_Mikael straightened and Klaus and Elijah watched the villagers rustle with curiosity, talking among themselves at the sight. _

"_Is that who I think is?" Klaus said, narrowing his eyes as he took in the figures of Dominic and Luka standing at the edge of the woods. _

"_Yes," Mikael said, raising his sword, "But, I sense that something is not right." _

_# # # # #_


	16. Chapter 16

**_((Sorry this is so short, but it was really a stand-alone scene))_**

It was almost 3 am before Klaus, Kol and Rebekah convinced Damon to let them take Stefan's body upstairs and another hour before they convinced him to leave his dead brother's body.

After watching Damon retreat to his own bedroom, Klaus slowly made his way down the upstairs hall to Stefan's bedroom.

Swallowing back his emotions, he quietly opened the door and crossed the threshold, stopping immediately as he took in the sight of Stefan's body lying on his bed.

Kol had removed the stake and they had respectfully rested Stefan's hands on his chest and closed his eye lids.

Klaus took in a trembled breath as he turned and closed the door.

It had been hours since he had learned of Stefan Salvatore's death and he was still surprised by how it all made him feel.

After his own brothers left him, even for the briefest moment, Stefan had been a brother to him…a comrade when he needed one.

He may have despised Klaus, but Stefan was the only one in Mystic Falls who had never _judged_ the original.

Really, he was the only other person, besides Elijah, who really understood him.

Klaus sniffed, scratching his chin as he pulled a chair from the corner of the room, placing it next to Stefan's bed and sitting down slowly.

He rubbed his hands over his thighs nervously as his eyes scanned Stefan's still body, unsure what to do.

All he knew was that he owed Stefan a proper goodbye…But even a murderous vampire can have issues with death.

He closed his eyes, cursing himself as he thought of how he could have stopped this all from happening.

It wasn't right that Stefan had paid for their past sins.

Finally, the anger turned to tears, and as Klaus opened his eyes again, a single drop fell down his right cheek as he focused his gaze on Stefan's placid face.

Then, remembering something he _could do_, and flashing back to the funeral rituals of his childhood, Klaus wiped quickly under his eyes and turned on his side, reaching into his pants pocket.

Pulling out a handful of change, he sifted through it in his hand before pulling out two quarters.

Normally, one would use higher denomination coins, but he would have to make do with what he had.

Klaus took the two quarters in between his fingers and placed the rest of his change back into his pocket.

Then taking in a breath, he leaned stood up and placed the two quarters gently on each of Stefan's closed eyelids.

Suddenly, he found himself bowing his head and singing in a low melodic voice, trying to remember the words to the old folksong now in the forefront of his mind.

"Of all the money, that e'er I had…" he sang, his voice breaking slightly as he pulled his hand back and rested it gently over Stefan's own hands folded on his chest, "I spent it in good company…"

Absentmindedly, he sat back down in the chair, his hand still over Stefan's as he wiped under his eyes and continued singing, "And all the harm that e'er I've done, alas it was to none but me… And all I've done for want of wit, to memory now I can't recall… So fill to me the parting glass, good night and joy be will you all."

# ## # #

Downstairs, Misha and Kol sat quietly at the table in the Salvatore kitchen, twirling glasses of whiskey in their hands, the half empty bottle sitting between them as they listened to Klaus' voice echoing through the silence of the house.

"_Of all the comrades that e'er I had, they are sorry for my going away…." _

# # # # #

In the back parlor, Rebekah sat, curled up in the one of the leather arm chairs in the dark, the fire in the fireplace the only light illuminating her as she sobbed quietly into one of the throw pillows.

"_And all the sweethearts that e'er I had, they would wish me one more day to stay…" _

# # # # #

"But since it falls unto my lot, that I should rise and you should not…" Klaus continued to sing, smirking sadly as he looked to Stefan's bedside table and Stefan's personal effects in a silver tray next to a small clock—a money clip, his cell phone, and his watch.

And a few inches away, a picture of him and Lexi taken in the 1990's with their arms around each other.

"I'll gently rise and I'll softly call, good night and joy be with you all…"

# # # # #

"_A man may drink and not be drunk, a man may fight and not be slain…"_

Damon closed his eyes as he took a swig from his tumbler with one hand and, carrying the bottle of scotch in the other, crossed the room to his vanity dresser.

He looked himself up and down in the mirror, taking in the pathetic sight—what grief had done to him—in the glass before pouring himself another drink, setting the bottle on the dresser and throwing back the scotch, closing his eyes hard as if the drink burned his throat.

Then Damon sniffed and wiped under his eyes as he opened them, unable to will away the tears that just kept coming as he sat down his glass and his hand moved shakily to his possessions sitting on the dresser—his keys, his wallet, his Rolex and a very old cigarette case.

Bypassing the other items, he immediately picked up the cigarette case. He had carried it for years…_centuries_ if one was really keeping track…but, if someone opened it, they wouldn't find cigarettes.

Taking it into his hands and turning it over, he pushed the clasp and the black case popped open, revealing its contents.

First, he took out a portrait of Katherine, one she had given him when he had been sent back to the Confederate front lines.

"_A man may court pretty girl and perhaps be welcomed back again…"_

He studied it for a moment before setting it aside on the dresser.

Then, his face crumbled as he took out the other portrait and tossed the case over his shoulder, hearing it fall with a thud on the wooden floor.

It was photograph of a young boy—Damon— holding Stefan as a baby on his lap.

"_But since it has, and so ought to be, by a time to rise and a time to fall…" _

Damon's lip trembled as he brushed a thumb over his baby brother's face.

All those years, he had carried this photograph of his brother with him to remind himself of the Stefan he knew _before_ they became demons…to remind himself that he didn't always hate his little brother.

Damon took a deep breath as grabbed the bottle of scotch with his free hand, then moved back to his bed, taking a seat on the edge as he continued to study the photograph.

After a few moments, he gave a sad smile and, holding out the picture, saluted it with the bottle before taking the final swig and tossing the empty bottle aside.

Then, he closed his eyes, and bringing the photograph to chest over his heart, fell back on the bed.

"_Come fill to me the parting glass, goodnight and joy be with you all…"_


	17. Chapter 17

_**((Hey all, Thank you for your kind reviews for last chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed Klaus' tribute to Stefan. The first time I heard "The Parting Glass" I was nine years old and my Dad sung it at my Uncle's funeral. It's an old folksong, dating back to the 16**__**th**__** century in the British Isles, so it's possible that Klaus would have come across it in his travels. If you have never heard it and want to listen to it, Ed Sheeran does a great version: watch?v=3kVVn80pFOc. Sorry, this chapter is short as well. I've been on a short chapter roll with this fanfiction. For some reason, I just get inspiration in small spurts lately. Please be patient with me. Hopefully it will pass, but I couldn't not post…I think that it's physically impossible for me to let you all down. Especially those of you who wait with baited breath for that email in their inbox. LOL! You know who you are and I love you all! ;)))**_

Kaspar's eyes flew open as he threw the covers aside and launched himself out of bed, but immediately became dizzy, holding his head in pain as he stumbled and fell hard onto the wooden floor, knocking over a floor lamp and a desk chair as he went.

As he fought the nausea in the back of his throat, he reached forward and took hold of the side of the desk, pulling himself up just far enough to grab a pen and pad of paper from the desktop, before the bedroom door flung open and Caroline appeared.

"You're awake…" Caroline said, her eye widening

"I know…it's a miracle!" Kaspar whimpered, looking quickly over his shoulder at her shocked expression before letting go of the desk and collapsing back onto the floor with the coveted items held tight against his chest.

"Oh, my God!" Caroline cried as she rushed through the threshold and around the end of the bed to the necromancer's side, "Are you okay?"

"More or less, but I need your help…" Kaspar groaned, rolling over, "It's…_Caroline_…am I right?"

"Yeah," Caroline nodded, confused as she knelt down next him

"Caroline…" Kaspar sighed, squinting in pain, as he struggled to prop himself on the back of his elbows and slowly held up the pad of paper and pen to her, "How are you at drawing maps?"

# # # # # #

Rebekah took a deep breath, nervously tossing the blood bag back and forth in her hands as she stood outside Damon's bedroom door.

Finally, she closed her eyes and knocked softly on the wood.

"Whoever it is…go away," Damon answered from the other side

"Damon, you can't survive on liquor alone… holed up in your room," Rebekah said, looking down to the blood in her hands, "you need to feed sometime. If you want—"

"What I _want _is to be left alone right now..." Damon insisted

"Damon—"

"_Please_, Rebekah," Damon said in quiet tone, his voice breaking

"Alright," Rebekah relented as she slowly lowered herself and set the bag near the threshold, "I'll just leave some blood by the door if you change your mind, okay?"

There was a long pause as Rebekah turned from the door.

"Thanks, Barbie," Damon finally said softly from the other side

Rebekah smiled sadly, glancing back over her shoulder at the door and imagining Damon behind it—the pain he must be going through…it was suddenly all too familiar to her.

"Bekah," a familiar voice suddenly sounded, causing Rebekah to turn forward again, and come face to face with her brother.

"Nik," she whispered as she moved toward him

"I thought I heard you out here," Klaus said softly, smirking sadly when she walked straight into his embrace and wrap her arms around his torso.

"When is it going end?" she whispered into his shirt, her voice breaking

Klaus, sensing her need for comfort, finally brought his arms tightly around his sister and cradled her against him.

"When is _what _going to end, Sweetheart?" he asked in a low voice, resting his chin on the crown of her head.

There was a moment's pause before Rebekah started crying and Klaus' heart melted at the sound, his own face crumbling as he held his sister tighter.

"When are we going to stop paying for our sins?" she sobbed

Klaus closed his eyes tightly, willing his own tears not to come.

"I don't know, Bekah…" he answered, stroking her hair softly, "Unfortunately, we are not the ones who decide when the debt is paid."

# # # # # # #

Outside the Salvatore Mansion, crouched on top of the carriage house in the stillness of the early morning, Dominic stood guard…

Watching…

Listening…

And waiting for his moment as he studied his older brother through the front windows…

# # # # # # #

Elena yawned as she walked slowly down the hallway and into the kitchen, still in her dress from the previous evening.

"Well, good morning!" Elijah smiled as he pulled a blender from underneath the island and set it on the counter, "I didn't expect to see you up and functioning at this hour—"

"Oh! Not _so loud_," Elena whimpered, closing her eyes as she put up her hands defensively

"Sorry," Elijah chuckled, studying her with pity

"I was just after some aspirin. My head is _splitting,_" Elena said, squinting at the early morning sunlight pouring through the windows as she moved toward the counter.

"Well," Elijah said, taking a piece of paper out of his pocket and waving it in his hand, "I have something better. I was going to bring it up to you."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked groggily, rubbing her eye with one hand and smoothing her hair back behind her ear with the other, "And what's with the blender?"

"When Klaus and I lived in London near the turn of the century, we had a valet who made these miracle concoctions that would instantly make any hangover a distant memory," Elijah said, then smirked as he eyed the blender on the counter, "He didn't exactly use a _blender_, but I have the recipe and…well, I'm winging it."

Elena smiled as she leaned on the counter, "'Winging it'? I never thought I would hear those words come out of your mouth. When does Elijah Mikaelson ever 'wing it'?"

Elijah smirked playfully, then with vampire speed, moved behind her and whispered in her ear as she straightened in surprise, "More often than you think."

Elena smiled weakly as she turned around to face him, "You know, you could make a girl dizzy, doing that so early in the morning before I've even had my 'miracle concoction'."

"Then I'll get right on it," Elijah smirked, holding up the piece of paper in his hand and twirling it in his fingers as he turned to move back toward the island and the waiting blender.

However, he didn't get far before he felt Elena's hand on his arm, stopping him dead in his tracks and turning him back to face her.

Elijah's eyes narrowed in curiosity as she studied him for a moment, then moved slowly toward him, bringing herself up on her tip toes inches from his face, her nose brushing with his.

"My hero," she whispered as she brought her lips to his in a passionate kiss.

But, it wasn't long before Elijah realized what was happening…or _wasn't _happening.

The connection _wasn't_ there…

The spark between their skin _wasn't _there…

The original's reaction was swift and his retribution quick as he moved with vampire speed and pinned the doppelganger hard against the wall on the far side of the kitchen, his hand at her throat as he watched the innocence in her face melt away to reveal the cunning actress.

"Katerina..." he whispered harshly, his eyes darkening as he held her at arms length

"Happy Birthday, Elijah," Katherine smirked


	18. Chapter 18

"Nice…_very nice_…" Kol mused, the TV remote posed in hand as he cocked his head and studied the Italian cookware a tall blonde with perfectly manicured hands was promoting on the screen.

"What's _nice_?" Misha chuckled, imitating the original's voice as he walked into the front parlor

"Ruffoni copper cookware," Kol replied with a smirk, not taking his eyes off the screen as Misha plopped down next to him on the couch, "Apparently, the Salvatore brothers have been holding out on us. The Home Shopping Network is at the top of their favorited channels list."

"_No_…" Misha smiled amusingly

"Oh, true story!" Kol chuckled, hitting a button on the remote and bringing up the _Favorited Channels_ on the screen, "Look."

"Well, vampires don't_ always_ sleep," Misha replied with a shrug, studying the list of channels, "Just like about ten percent of the human population…and the Home Shopping Network _is_ the only thing on 24/7…"

"You never run out of excuses for people, do you?" Kol smirked then pointed toward the screen again, "_Oh!_ Just look at those sauce pans!Those _alone_ are works of _art_…perfect for alfredo, marinara, pesto, béchamel—"

"Whoa…_whoa!_" Misha laughed, holding up his hands and turning to the original, "Back the sauce train up! How do _you _know about Italian sauce pans?"

"We lived in Italy at least three times over the last thousand years, I may or may not have learned how to cook Italiano…" Kol answered with a sly smile

"Do you think you can remember some of it?" a familiar voice sounded from the doorway

Kol's smile immediately vanished as he turned off the television and he and Misha both turned their gaze immediately to Damon Salvatore standing, albiet disheveled, in the threshold.

"Uh…I think so. Are—are you hungry?" Kol asked Damon, raising a curious eyebrow as he watched Misha stand and make his way over to the older Salvatore brother.

"_Famished_," Damon said softly, his eyes heavy and still brimming with tears as he looked down to the blood bag resting in his hand, "But, I'm just _not_ into the red stuff right now…it makes me think of—"

"We understand," Misha soothed, taking the blood bag from Damon's hand and studying him with sad eyes

"So no red sauce, then, huh?," Kol quipped as he stood from the couch and made his way across the room, moving past Misha and putting a hand on Damon's shoulder as he guided him out into the hall and started leading him toward the kitchen, "Well, there are other options—"

"Bolognese?" Damon suddenly interjected in a soft, tired voice before raising his eyes to Kol, "It was… our favorite—Stefan and me—my father used to make it for us."

Kol studied Damon for a moment then gave a sympathetic smile, bringing two fingers up to tap on the side of his temple, "I think I can pull that one from the old noggin."

# # # # #

After he watched Damon and Kol disappear into the kitchen, Misha climbed the front staircase in search of Rebekah, looking around as he reached the top landing.

"Rebekah?" he called softly

"We're here," Klaus' voice sounded nearby

Misha turned his gaze immediately in the direction of the original's voice, a small smile crossing his face as he took in the sight of the siblings lounging on the window seat at the end of the hallway, Rebekah sleeping against Klaus' chest, his arm securely around her as he lovingly looked down into her face, watching her.

"How is she?" Misha asked walking toward them

"She's stopped crying for now…" Klaus smirked sadly, brushing a lock of hair out of Rebekah's eyes

"I know Stefan's death has been hard for her and for you—"

"You know what _the_ hardest part about all this has been for me?" Klaus suddenly interjected, his voice breaking as looked up to the warlock, the emotion clear in his eyes, "Well, besides the part that a vampire who was once my friend and comrade was staked through the heart before I could take back the last few terrible things I said to him, is the part where my baby sister comes to me and wraps her arms around me like she used to when she was little and ask me, sobbing her eyes out, when we are going to stop paying for our sins."

Klaus closed his eyes, the tears falling down his cheeks.

There was a moment's pause, before Misha took another step closer.

"And what did you tell her?" he asked softly, his eyes sympathetic as he studied Klaus

"That I don't know," Klaus whispered, opening his eyes again an wiping under them with his free hand as he shook his head, "I'm supposed to be the 'evil badass' in this town, but tonight I had to look my little sister in the eyes and tell her that it isn't up to _us_ to decide when the debt is paid. We have fate and… a spell your mother cast a thousand years ago to thank for that."

# # # # # #

"Where is Elena?" Elijah asked, studying Katherine

"You know what I love most about you Elijah?" Katherine replied, biting her lip as she studied Elijah, "That you were always _so much_ more than a handsome face. Ugh! It always seemed to take the Salvatore brothers _ages _to figure out when I was playing the part of sweet, innocent, Elena. Not that I minded, of course, but—"

"I asked you _a question,"_ Elijah said, leaning closer to her face, his eyes flashing with anger

Katherine rolled her eyes as she struggled in the originals grasp, but he held firm and she relented.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch! Elena is _fine_, she's upstairs in bed where you left her last night...she's _naked,_ obviously," she said, raising an eyebrow, "because yours truly borrowed her dress…but _fine._"

Elijah's nostrils flared, looking her over for a moment, deciding if she was telling the truth, before releasing her neck and stepping back as she pushed herself off the wall.

"How did you get past the protection spell on the house?" he asked, still eying her curiously as she rubbed her neck and circled him, making her way toward the refrigerator.

"You think that you are the only one with witch friends?" Katherine scoffed over her shoulder as she opened the door, "_Please… _the spell Vivienne cast on this place was child's play."

"So, why are you here, Katerina? What do you want?" Elijah continued, folding his arms across his chest

Katherine retrieved a bottle of fruit juice from the fridge and closed the door, narrowing her eyes at the original as she screwed off the top.

"What do I _want?"_ she asked in a bitter tone, "Wow…what is with _your_ attitude? You disappoint me. I thought that after our last encounter, that we were finally on the path to becoming friends, you know, healing old wounds…_especially_ since Misha has been having me do your spying for you."

Elijah sighed, walking around the counter to face her, tapping his fingers on the counter top as he watched Katherine take a swig from the bottle, his anger fading at her words.

She was right. Things between them had changed since she had returned his ring and they had taken their own road trip together.

"Then why the charade?" he inquired, his eyes softening, "And the kiss?"

Katherine straightened, taking a measured breath as she screwed the lid back on and walked over to the refrigerator, opening the door and placing the bottle back inside before closing the door and turning back to face the original.

"I guess old habits die hard…" she shrugged, "I would say 'I'm sorry', but honestly, I think that after five hundred years, I'm mentally and physically _incapable_ of doing that."

Elijah couldn't help but chuckle her comment and Katherine herself smiled at his reaction, leaning forward on the counter, their eyes meeting.

"So tell me why you're here?" Elijah asked in a kinder tone

Katherine nodded

"As I mentioned before, and as you probably remember, since I left you at Misha's house, I've been using my elusive hiding skills to keep an eye on _everything_ in Mystic Falls…" she pointed out, "that's how I knew that you and Elena had left town and where to find you."

The original straightened, his eyes narrowing, "So what exactly did you see that compelled you to come here?"

"It's not _what_ as much as _who_," Katherine replied, giving Elijah a knowing glance

Elijah cocked his head, intrigued as Katherine took a deep breath before she spoke again, dropping her bombshell

"There is a vampire hunter in Mystic Falls, Elijah."

Elijah processed what she said for a moment then stepped back from the counter, shaking his head.

"That's _impossible_, I haven't seen a hunter in well over—"

"Two hundred years?" Katherine interjected, completing his sentence, "I know. Neither have I—not since your father—and _definitely_ _not_ a human one since the days of the Order of St. Sebastian."

"Klaus killed the surviving members of the order in the 1870s and, unless there were decedents we didn't know about, I don't see how—"

"My gut tells me that _this_ hunter isn't like any other we've faced, Elijah," Katherine added, and Elijah noted a hint of fear in her eyes

"What do you mean?" Elijah inquired, his own eyes turning worried

"I—I saw him," Katherine said in a low, nervous tone, adverting her eyes as she stood, raising herself from the counter, "And I…well…I _recognized _him."

Elijah's face fell ashen, _"What?"_

"I couldn't remember exactly _where_ at first," Katherine said softly, "But then I thought about when you first took me to Misha's house, back when we were looking for answers about Esther, and I saw all those pictures on the wall of him through the centuries…So, I went back there and sure enough..."

Elijah watched as Katherine reached into the front of her dress and pulled out what looked like a folded piece of parchment.

She unfolded it slowly, laying it on the counter and sliding it across to the original as he leaned forward and looked down at the portrait sketch of Misha's family-Ayanna in the center, with smaller portraits of her six children surrounding her that Katherine had taken from the warlock's home.

"It was _him_, Elijah," Katherine finally said, pointing to the image of a teenage boy in the lower right hand corner of the sketch, beneath Misha's own portrait, "I'm sure of it."

Elijah eyes widened and he took in a trembled breath, rubbing his hand nervously over his upper lip as he looked down into the eyes of his old apprentice.

"So, my gut was right then, that this _isn't_ any ordinary hunter... not if you're afraid of him..." Katherine whispered, judging the original's reaction

Elijah lowered his hand slowly from his mouth

"Mother always said, 'There must be a balance'_..." _he whispered, as if in a trance, his eyes still locked on the portrait of the young man in front of him

Katherine's own eyes widened as she cocked her head, trying to meet the original's gaze.

"This isn't the first time he's been in Mystic Falls, is it, Elijah?"

# # # # # #


	19. Chapter 19

"I…I don't know what to say…" Caroline said, her mind still reeling from their conversation and the revelations Kaspar had relayed from his dream encounter with his younger brother.

"Don't say anything…_think_," Kaspar replied, with smirk, "We need that beautiful brain of yours right now because mine's a little foggy after visiting dream land."

"Okay…"Caroline whispered, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the angular grid design she had drawn, per Kaspar's direction, onto the notepad that now sat in front of where they sat side by side on the unmade bed, "Well, all I can think of right now is that this looks _really_ familiar somehow…"

"It _does?_" Kaspar cocked an eyebrow as he turned to her, then back down the notepad, "How? It's drawn from something Luka drew in the dirt in a dream and the only thing we know for sure…" he turned the notepad at an angle and pointed to a spot marked on the primitive map, "is that _this_ is where he said we'll find the answer to stopping Dominic— "

"_Oh!_" Caroline shrieked suddenly, her eyes widening as she jumped up and reached quickly into her back jean pocket, pulling out her phone

"Geez, Caroline! You'll give a warlock a heart attack doing that!" Kaspar chided, closing his eyes and clutching his chest with one hand, while grabbing the notepad with the other to keep it from flying off the bed.

"Sorry…" Caroline lamented, with a small smile, then held up her phone, turning it on as she watched Kaspar open his eyes and lower his hand from his chest, "I just remembered where I've seen this layout before."

"Do tell…" Kaspar encouraged

"Well," Caroline relayed as she intently started searching on her phone, her eyes glued to the screen, "When I was a little kid, my Dad worked free-lance for a cartographer in town who specialized in historic maps and when I would go down to his studio after school, waiting for him to take me to dance class, I would spend _hours_ looking through these drawers full of maps from all different eras—"

"And you think that this is a map you've seen of someplace from a different _era_?" Kaspar asked suddenly

"Not just _some _place," Caroline said, turning her phone toward the warlock, revealing the Google map she had pulled up on the screen, "Mystic Falls."

"Sweet Baby Jesus!" Kaspar mused as he took the phone from Caroline's hands and studied it with a smirk as he sat it down next to their hand-drawn map.

It was almost a perfect outline match of their angular grid.

"Now, let's see…" Caroline leaned in closer, looking from the current map to the one in front of them, "It looks like this grid pattern in Luka's map is about a fourth of the size of the current town. Of course, we know that the town was founded in 1859..."

"_Of course_..." Kaspar teased in a mocking voice, but Caroline ignored him, focused on the task at hand

"So that would mean that, if my hunch is correct, it would suggest that the map Luka gave us is of Mystic Falls around that time period," she said, "_And therefor_, since most of the rest of the town wouldn't have been built yet, we're probably looking for our location to be in the present day historic district. It's the oldest part of town."

"Right. And that's _here,_" Kaspar nodded, widening the phone screen view, then referencing their map again, "So, if we line our maps up, that would mean our target would be …right… _there_… on…Maple Street."

"_Maple Street_?" Caroline suddenly interjected in surprise, immediately leaning closer and checking the warlocks coordinates as the Google maps zoned in on a picture of the current standing house in that location.

"Yeah," Kaspar confirmed, sitting back and pointing between the Google screen and their map, "See? You were right. Its location is _precisely_ in the historic district…right there on the far side of Maple Street—"

"Oh, my God..." Caroline scoffed, straightening, her face falling at the familiar picture, "It's _Elena's house."_

"Elena?" Kaspar asked, curiously

"Yes," Caroline answered, turning toward him, "Elena…the doppelganger."

Kaspar's mouth fell open in shock, "Are you sure?"

"_Pretty sure_. I should know my own best friend's house, shouldn't I? Especially, since I've had a standing invite there since Kindergarten," Caroline replied, running a nervous hand through her curls and biting her lip, "The only thing I can think of is that the old Gilbert Mansion used to stand there—"

"Wait…" Kaspar interjected, holding up a hand to silence her, "Did you say _Gilbert_? Elena's last name is _Gilbert_?"

Caroline nodded and Kaspar immediately straightened

"As in _Jonathan Gilbert..." _he asked_, "_The inventor?"

Caroline narrowed her eyes, "You've heard of Jonathan Gilbert?"

"Honey," Kaspar replied in a low voice, "_Everyone_ in the supernatural world who has been around as _long_ as I have and run in the circles I have, has heard of Jonathan Gilbert."

"I see…" Caroline said softly

Kaspar sighed looking down at the map, "Well, if this has_ anything_ to do with Jonathan Gilbert, then there is only one person in Mystic Falls who can help us solve the mystery."

"Who?" Caroline asked, genuinely intrigued

"Misha," Kaspar answered in a resolute voice

# # # # #

Kol threw the dish towel expertly over his left shoulder before pouring a bottle of red wine into the marinara sauce in the pan on the stove and stirring it in.

But before he could put the half-empty wine bottle back on the counter, Damon plucked it out of his hand, causing Kol to scoff over his shoulder with a smile as he watched the older Salvatore brother leap up onto the island counter and take a swig.

"_What?" _Damon chided at the original after he lowered the wine from his lips

"Nothing," Kol shrugged, still stirring his sauce as he adjusted the temperature, "I'm the_ last_ person who is going to judge you right now…_believe_ me."

"Good," Damon smirked, closing his eyes lazily as he took another swig before re-opening his eyes and focusing on Kol, his face softening, "Thanks for doing this, by the way..."

Kol turned the flame down on the stove and covered the sauce pan before turning around and facing Damon, pulling the towel off of his shoulder and wiping his hands.

"What are mortal enemies for?" he teased to lighten the moment and Damon gave a sad smile

Suddenly, there was a buzzing noise as Kol's phone started vibrating and ringing where it sat on the kitchen table.

"Could you get that?" the original said, pointing toward the offending device as he threw the towel back over his shoulder, "I need to watch the sauce."

"Sure," Damon said in a low voice, jumping down from the counter, the bottle of wine still in his hand as he moved to the kitchen table and picked up the phone.

He took another swig before looking down at the caller ID.

"It's Klaus…" he scoffed, turning back to Kol with a raised eyebrow

"Nik?" Kol smirked, lifting the lid and looking inside, "Lazy ass. Hit the ignore button. Make him come down here."

Damon took another swig from the wine bottle with one hand while silencing the call with the other and tossing it back on the table.

Seconds later, the phone rang again.

"_Seriously?"_ Damon sighed, eyeing the phone with indignation, stepping forward and hitting the ignore button again.

"I wouldn't ignore him a third time—" Kol chuckled, looking up from the sauce pan

"What makes you think there will _be_ a third time?" Damon asked

Suddenly the phone buzzed again and Damon picked up the phone, his mouth dropping in disbelief as he turned to face Kol

"Told you," Kol smirked

Damon scoffed again as he set the wine bottle on the table and took a seat in one of the chairs before hitting the answer button.

"Diabolical younger brother's phone…" he dead panned, "This is Damon speaking…How may I assist you?"

"Damon?" Caroline's voice sounded, confused, on the other end of the phone

"Barbie?" Damon replied, his eyes narrowing in curiostiy and he immediately looked up to Kol and mouthed 'It's Caroline'.

Kol cocked his head, but still adding ingredients to his sauce, as Damon returned to the conversation.

"What are you doing with Klaus' phone?" he asked

"He left it at the mansion. I found it in his bedroom when I was trying to call him, so I used his contact list to see if I could reach one of the siblings instead," Caroline rambled, "And what exactly are you doing with _Kol's_ phone? Are Klaus, Rebekah and Kol with you? What's happened? Did they find Misha?"

Damon opened his mouth to speak, but, suddenly, couldn't find the words.

She didn't know...

And suddenly, he realized that if he spoke the words-if he admitted it to someone outside the house that Stefan really was dead-it would be real.

Feeling too emotionally overwhelmed, the threat of tears brimming his eyes, Damon instantly lowered the phone from his ear with a trembling hand.

"Damon?" Kol inquired, noticing the silence in the conversation and turning toward the older Salvatore, whose face was now ashen and completely blank as he slowly rose from his chair, dropping the phone onto the table before stumbling out of the room, taking the wine bottle with him.

"Damon!" Kol called after him in a concerned voice, then turned back to the stove, immediately turning the sauce down before quickly moving to the table to pick up the phone and bring it to his ear, "'Diabolical younger brother' speaking."

"Kol, what's going on?" Caroline asked, her voice now nervous and a little upset, "What was_ that_ all about? Is Damon okay?"

"Actually…" Kol sighed, "He's not."

# # # # #

"Kol's cooking Italian for Damon downstairs," Misha said softly as he watched Klaus lower a still sleeping Rebekah onto the bed in one of the guest rooms upstairs

"So he's left his room?" Klaus smirked as he propped Rebekah's head up gently on one of the pillows, then stroked her cheek softly before pulling his hand back and straightening, "That's a good sign."

"Maybe we should eat, too?" Misha offered, "Nothing make someone hungrier than grief..."

"No thanks," Klaus said in a low voice, rounding the end of the bed, avoiding eye contact with the warlock, "I'm glad he's helping Damon, but I've eaten my brother's cooking for more than five centuries, I think I'll pass tonight and just go sit with Stefan awhile longer—"

"Nik," Misha sighed, grabbing hold of Klaus' arm as he passed him and made his way toward the door, causing the original to stop and turn back to face him, "Don't _do_ that to yourself."

"Well, I don't know _what else to do_, Misha," Klaus said, his eyes mirroring the sadness in his voice, "Nothing is certain right now. We don't know where Dominic is, what he really wants, or even how to stop him—_if _we can stop him—"

"Nik—"

"_No!"_ Klaus said harshly, pulling his arm out of Misha's grasp and walking toward the door again, "Mourning my friend…that's what I know how to do right now…the _only _thing I know how to do right now!"

"Niklaus_, wait_..." Misha sighed, following him out the door and into the hallway.

But suddenly, they both stopped in their tracks as they watched Damon Salvatore climb the last stair like a zombie and b-line straight for his room, slamming the door behind him.

"I wonder what that is about?" Klaus mused in an even tone, turning back to Misha "Kol's cooking isn't _that_ horrible."

Seconds later, with the aide of vampire speed, Kol appeared before them in the hallway, holding out his phone to Misha.

"It's Kaspar. He needs to speak with you," Kol said, his face mirroring the serious tone in his voice

At the original's words, Misha quickly took the phone into his hands, turning and walking back to the end of the hall as he answered the phone, leaving Kol and Klaus still facing each other.

Klaus gave a quick look over his shoulder toward Misha, then without a word, stepped forward to make his way back to Stefan's room.

But, immediately, he found Kol blocking his path.

"I talked to Caroline," Kol said, his eyes locking with his brother's, "I told her what happened. She and Kaspar are on their way. Apparently, they have something enlightening to share with us, well, regarding our little 'vampire hunter on the loose' issue…"

Klaus didn't speak, he just nodded, then moved forward again to pass Kol, but the younger original blocked his path again.

"_Something else_, Kol?" Klaus scoffed, clearly agitated

"Yeah. Well, it's just that…Caroline…" he said, shrugging nervously, "She—she asked me to give you something."

There was another moment of awkward silence before Klaus raised an eyebrow, studying his brother curiously.

"_And?_" he inquired in an impatient voice, "What is it?"

Kol inhaled deeply, straightening himself in preparation, as he took unsure step toward his brother that caused Klaus to flinch slightly at the proximity.

Then they stared at each other for a moment before Kol finally reached out and wrapped his arms around the older original and pulled him into an embrace.

Klaus stood in shock for a moment, still surprised by his brother's actions, before he finally closed his eyes and exhaled, a small smile crossing his face as he brought his own arms tightly around Kol, returning his embrace...something he hadn't felt in centuries.


	20. Chapter 20

"I'm sorry, Nik...I really am..." Kol whispered

"Thanks, Kol." Klaus replied

Then after a few more seconds, Kol released his hold on him

"Well," Kol said, clearing his throat as he pulled back from their hug, raising an eyebrow as the sudden awkwardness of the situation hit him, "I want you to know I _only_ did this because you know—Caroline _asked me_—and...Look, I should get back downstairs, you know, my—my sauce might burn and—"

"Oh, _sure_…" Klaus added, shaking his head as he stepped back, "Of course. Because we don't normally hug…that would just be _weird,_ right?"

"Right," Kol agreed, nervously shoving his hands in his pockets with a small smile, "Because we're Norwegian and Norwegian men _don't _hug."

"Nor do they kiss," Klaus added, narrowing his eyes with a smirk

"True. They don't do that either…" Kol chuckled and Klaus laughed, punching him playfully in the arm

"You!" Misha suddenly said with an excited smile, pointing toward Kol as he hung up the phone and walked back toward them from the other end of the hall, whipping his hand around his head as he headed down the stairs, "Come with me! I'm suddenly _starving!_"

"Hey, wait up!" Klaus called, "Who was that on the phone?"

"Kaspar," Misha said, turning back on the top of the stairs to face the original, "And there is good news! _Which_ I will share over some pasta Bolognese…you coming?"

"I'm not really that hungry…" Klaus replied, looking over his shoulder towards Stefan's room, then back to his brother and the warlock

"Suit yourself," Misha shrugged sadly, turning to head back down the stairs, "We can talk about it more at length when Caroline and Kaspar get here, but until then…" he waved at Kol, "Come on, Emeril!"

"I hope that's _a compliment_…" Kol smirked, raising an eyebrow to his brother and giving him a pat on the shoulder before he followed Misha.

_**New World 1044 A.D.**_

"_Take the back path into the woods…" Liliya encouraged, trying to keep her voice even as she guided the frightened women and children away from their homes, one by one, ignoring the chaos that had broken out behind them as the swift and brutal attackers finally broke through the front lines, forcing the archers to race out to protect the center of the village._

"_Liliya!" Finn cried, catching sight of her as he moved among the throng of other archers, headed toward the fight, carrying a little girl in his arms whom he must have found on the way. _

_Liliya looked up, and seeing him, made her way through the crowd of women, running toward him.  
_

"_Kol's waiting on the far edge of the woods to help you get them to the caves!" Finn said, placing the little girl gently into her arms before removing his bow from his shoulder and taking it into his hands, arming himself._

_Liliya nodded quickly, their eyes meeting for a few seconds before Finn smiled at her, then took off into the night. _

"_Here, I'll take her," a voice sounded nearby and Liliya turned to see Astrid Hangarr, one of the teenage girls from the village and Rebekah's best friend, step forward, the torch light illuminating her white-blonde hair as Liliya willingly handed the child over. _

_Just then, a loud cry sounded behind them and they turned back to see a blurred figure move through the line of archers as they anxiously tried to fire off shots. _

_Then Astrid screamed, clutching the little girl tighter, shielding her eyes from the sight, as a sword made contact with one of the archer's heads, severing it completely and causing it to roll onto the ground at their feet. _

_It was Edgar Rathengast, a village werewolf._

"_Astrid, we have to go…go!" Liliya cried, trying to hold her emotions back as she pushed the still stunned girl in the direction the other women had already left and they took off. _

_But, something immediately caught Liliya by the arm, pulling her back. _

_And as she whirled around to face her captor, she found herself face to face with the last person she expected to see. _

"_Luka…" she whispered, struggling in his tight grasp, her eyes widening as they wandered down to the bloody sword sheathed on his hip. _

_Luka cocked his head for a moment as he studied her, with dark, almost inhuman eyes and it was then that Liliya realized that it wasn't Luka standing before her—it was someone else…something else. And that something was what was killing the men in the village. _

_Luka stepped forward and took in a breath, smelling her scent as she continued to struggle. _

"_Human," he said in resolved voice, loosening his grip as his eyes roamed her body. _

_But, when they suddenly fell upon the side of her neck, where Elijah had bitten her during their love making earlier that night, she immediately felt his hand tighten around her arm once more—harder, if that was even possible— as he pulled her to him and she winced, "You've been with a vampire and let it feed from you…" _

_Liliya flared her nostrils, her face turning defiant as she stared him straight in the eyes while she watched the wheels in his head work, seeming to pull memories from the real Luka forward in his mind. _

"You love this _vampire…" he said softly in realization of who she was, "you're betrothed to this vampire…will marry this vampire...will become a vampire..." _

_Liliya took in a deep breath and stiffened as she watched him pull a short knife from the strap on his back with his free hand and take a measured step back, ready to strike._

_But, before he could deliver the final blow, a figure stepped quickly between them with the aide of vampire speed, taking the knife to the chest, that was meant for her, with a loud cry._

"_Nik!" Liliya screamed as she watched her childhood friend let out a gasp, looking down to where the blade now stuck out of the center of his sternum. _

_A moment passed as the two adversaries stared stared angrily at each other, then Klaus viciously grabbed Luka's arm, pulling the blade out with it, and kicking him square in the chest with vampire strength that sent him flying two hundred feet back into the dirt. _

"_Are you alright?" Klaus groaned, falling to his knees and looking over his shoulder to Liliya as she immediately came to his side, applying pressure to his wound. _

_She opened her mouth __to respond, but before she could say anything in response, she saw Klaus' head snap up and his hand immediately reach for his sword laying on the ground nearby. _

_When she followed his gaze, she saw what he did—that Luka was now coming back to his feet._

_Klaus winced as he quickly struggled to his own feet, bringing his sword to the ready with one hand, while bringing his other hand to his bleeding chest. _

"_Liliya, run…" he breathed, his eyes focusing on his opponent _

"_But—" Liliya protested, her eyes filled with worry_

"_I'll be fine…" he reiterated, "Run…" _

"_Nik—"_

"_Just run!" Klaus said louder, watching Luka bring his own weapon to the ready and start walking quickly toward them, before looking back over his shoulder to Liliya, "Run!"_

_Finally with a whimper and a resigned sigh, Liliya turned and took off, just as she heard Klaus' sword collide with Luka's_

_# # # # # _

Klaus exhaled as he closed the door to Stefan's room behind him, then turned to face his friend's body once more.

But, he immediately stopped in his tracks when he saw someone standing by the bed who he didn't expect.

"Liliya," he whispered, stepping forward

"Nik," she replied, a small smile crossing her face…

The smile that had warmed Niklaus Mikaelson's heart since he was boy.


	21. Chapter 21

_1044 A.D._

"_Rebekah, Hurry!" Ioan cried, his sword at the ready in one hand as he held the other out to his little sister_

"_I can't find Glorianna!" she shouted, her eyes mirroring the worry in her voice, scanning the fleeing crowd around them as she took hold of her brother's hand_

"_She's probably with Mother, Ayanna and the others," Ioan assured her, pulling her behind him as he started toward the woods, "Kol and Liliya have already led most of them to the caves." _

"_She's my friend, Ioan," Rebekah quickly replied, suddenly pulling herself from her brother's grasp, "I can't leave until I know for sure!" _

"_Bekah, wait!" Ioan shouted as he watched his sister turn and take off with vampire speed into the night. _

_# # # # # # _

"_Glorianna!" Rebekah cried as she threw open the door to the hut Ayanna shared with her six children on the other side of the village, "Glor—"_

_Suddenly, her face fell and her posture straightened in surprise when she saw someone she didn't expect standing in the center of the room, staring at her from the other side of a raging, spellbound fire…_

_It was Ayanna. _

"_Ayanna," Rebekah stepped forward quickly when the initial shock had worn off, her eyes narrowing in confusion, "The village is under attack... Why are you still here? We should go—" _

"_The others have already gone, but I will stay and see this spell through to the end," the witch replied simply, then raised her eyes to the vampire, "I do not fear my own children... no matter what they have become." _

_Rebekah's mouth suddenly fell open in disbelief, her eyes welling with tears as she came to realize what the witch was saying. _

"_You—you did this…didn't you?" she whispered, still stunned, "What's happening outside…it was you…" _

"_I did what the spirits commanded," Ayanna replied solemnly, "And by morning, my sons will have cleansed this village of all things unholy and unclean and restored the balance of nature that was so carelessly ignored by your Mother," then she stepped forward, her eyes sorrowful as she studied her friend's daughter, "I'm only sorry it had to end like this, Rebekah…I truly am." _

# # # # # #

Rebekah's eyes opened quickly as she took in a sharp breath and pulled herself unsteadily up onto her elbows on the bed in one of the guest bedrooms of the Salvatore Mansion.

She groggily took in her surroundings as she pushed her hair back behind her ear, realizing Nik must have deposited her there after she had cried herself to sleep on his shoulder.

Her eyes fell on the clock on the wall across the room and she sighed in relief when she realized that she had only been passed out for short time.

She then turned and rolled herself over, sitting up on the edge of the bed for a moment before bringing herself to her feet.

Slowly, she walked over to the window, draw to it by the shreds of early morning light that now made their way through the closed curtains.

She closed her eyes and smirked as she felt the warmth of the rays and gently drew back the material to look out through the glass, thinking maybe she could open the window and get some fresh air…

or perhaps even climb out onto the roof for a few moments to herself…

Suddenly, as she opened her eyes to look through the glass, her hands poised to raise the window, her breath caught in her throat and her reflexes had her across the room in seconds with the aide of vampire speed.

Plastered up against the far wall, she stared in wide-eyed horror at the figure now perched on the roof, staring back at her through the window.

It was Dominic…or what was left of the Dominic she had known a thousand years ago.

She couldn't help but noticed how hollow and inhuman his eyes looked as they studied her…and how they seemed to smile sadistically as he brought his hand up to eye level, making a tisking sound with is tongue as he moved his index finger back and forth, shaming her attempt to leave the house.

# # # # #

"I thought you had left us…" Klaus said softly, studying the original doppelganger

"Not quite yet…" Liliya replied with a small smile, bringing her hand up to rest on the side of his face

Klaus closed his eyes at her touch, bringing his hand up to rest on hers

"You really _are_ real…" he whispered, "I thought I was dreaming back in the Lockwood cellar when you gave me Elijah's letter."

"In many ways, I wish this _was_ a dream," Liliya answered, "Then you and your family wouldn't be in danger, again."

Klaus opened his eyes and took in a deep breath, stepping back out of her grasp

"Nik?" she inquired softly as she watched him go

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, his breath hitching as he shook his head, "I—I just _can't_…"

Liliya sighed as she took a step toward him then looked over to Stefan's lifeless body on the bed a few feet away, "I know how much you miss him…what he meant to you-"

"How do you know _anything_ about Stefan and me or how I'm feeling?" Klaus suddenly scoffed, deflecting her sentiments as he turned his back on her, "And—and why did you come to _me,_ anyway? Shouldn't you be haunting Elijah right now?"

"I'm here because you were thinking of me just now as you entered the room—just for a _second_—your mind and your heart called out to me. I could never come to you before after I died...the spirits wouldn't let me…not like now," she said softly, "But, you see, Elijah wasn't the _only one_ I've been watching over for the last thousand years, Nik. I've seen _everything _you've done and who you've done it with. So don't do that…don't turn your back on me and put up walls!"

"Well, maybe I do it because I don't deserve your pity—"

"It's _not_ pity, Nik…" Liliya said, moving forward and putting a hand on his shoulder, "And I will never stop feeling things for you…_not ever_."

At her touch, Klaus immediately turned back, his eyes searching hers as he took in a staggered breath.

"I still don't understand why you would come to me?" he whispered, his eyes narrowing and his lip trembling , "I _killed _you…"

Liliya inhaled as she brought her hands to the sides of his face, his eyes closing again at her touch

"A thousand years ago, I met a boy in the woods who was just as sad, just as lonely, and just as lost as I was," she said in a low voice, bringing her forehead to rest against his, "And he became my _best friend_—he listened to me when no one else would, protected me when no one else was there, and when I was hurting, he could sit next to me without a word and instantly make me feel better. And years later, when I fell in love and left him for another, he was selfless enough to let me go…"

Klaus inhaled sharply, trying to control his emotions as Liliya pulled back to face him, her eyes meeting his.

"My best friend didn't kill me, the werewolf who took over his body did," she continued, "My _best friend_. That that is who called me to him and that is who I am here for now... if he'll let me and as long as I am able to be seen and felt by him."

Then she smirked, her eyes shifting to the bedroom door

"And, well… at least until _Caroline_ gets here."

Klaus suddenly turned, following her gaze as the door opened and Caroline appeared in the threshold.

"I'm_ always_ with you, Nik..." Liliya whispered in his ear

Klaus quickly turned back to the original doppelganger, but she was gone.

# # # # # #

"Elijah?" Katherine whispered, trying to meet the original's still stunned gaze

"I…" Elijah swallowed, stepping back from the counter, "I—I have get back to Mystic Falls…"

"What?" Katherine asked in a surprised tone

Elijah sighed, "It's a _long _story, Katerina, but your gut was right. This is no _ordinary_ hunter and this is _not_ his first time in Mystic Falls. You see, his name is Dominic and he didn't come back to hunt just _any_ vampires..."

Katherine scoffed as she cocked her head, looking down to the portrait of Dominic in front of them for a moment before bringing her dark eyes back to the original, "You know him, don't you?"

Elijah just stared at her, his eyes saddening as he gave her a knowing look.

Katherine opened her mouth to speak again, but at that moment, Elijah's cell phone rang and the doppelganger watched the original walk quickly over to the kitchen table and pick it up where it rested, studying the caller ID before answering it on the fourth ring, his tone worried.

"Rebekah?"

"Elijah," Rebekah's voice sounded on the other end

"Are you—are you alright?" Elijah answered, his voice breaking with relief at the sound of his sister's voice, "Are Kol and Klaus—"

"Elijah, we have a _serious _problem," Rebekah interjected, her voice suddenly taking on a nervous tone

"I heard," Elijah replied solemnly

"_What_?" Rebekah retorted in a surprised tone, "How did you—"

"Let's just say a little bird told me…" Elijah added quickly, his eyes shifting to Katherine, "Dominic is back in Mystic Falls."

"You could say that," Rebekah replied, "But it gets worse. I-I well, just realized something…"

"And what is that?" Elijah asked, his eyes narrowing in curiosity

"That Dominic is outside the Salvatore Mansion as we speak, but he's not making any attempt to harm us or even kill us, he's just _watching us..._in short, making sure we don't leave. I should have seen it right from the beginning, but we were all so concentrated on—"

Rebekah suddenly stopped herself from dropping the news of Stefan's death.

Elijah didn't need to know that right now, she reasoned with herself, he needed to be on his A game—not thinking about Elena and her reaction to her ex-boyfriend's death at the hands of yet another supernatural being that wanted the Mikaelson siblings dead.

"Rebekah?" Elijah asked, confused when she stopped mid-sentence

"I—Look, I think it's a trap, Elijah," Rebekah continued

Elijah closed his eyes in sudden realization, exhaling slowly, "And you and the others are bait."

There was a moment's pause on the other end before Rebekah finally spoke.

"I think so…"

Elijah's nostrils flared as he opened his eyes quickly, rubbing his forefinger over the top of his lip thoughtfully for a moment.

"Elijah?" Rebekah's voice broke him out of his trance, "What do you want to do?"

Elijah pulled his hand away as he straightened

"Just stay put for now…" he said in a low tone, "I'll call you back, soon. I love you."

"Will do. I love you, too," Rebekah replied, her voice breaking with emotion before the line went dead

Elijah bit his lip as he pulled the phone away from his own ear and hit the End button on the touchscreen.

"What's happening?" Katherine asked in a worried tone, coming to his side

"It seems that Dominic has lured my siblings to the Salvatore Mansion," Elijah said, taking a seat in one of the chairs at the kitchen table, resting his phone on his lips in thought, "Rebekah thinks it is some sort of trap to bring me there since he hasn't made any attempt to harm them-"

"Hold on," Katherine replied, narrowing her eyes in disbelief, "I don't understand…he set the trap for _you_?"

"Yes," Elijah said, suddenly focusing pained eyes on Katherine, "Dominic won't kill my siblings until he knows that I'm there to watch him do it. It's my punishment, you see...even Rebekah knows that."

"Punishment for _what_?" Katherine whispered, kneeling down next to him as she place a sympathetic hand on his arm

"For angering the spirits a thousand years ago…" Elijah said, taking in a deep breath, "and killing him."


	22. Chapter 22

_1044 A.D._

_With one hand still covering his chest wound, Klaus gave a hard shove against where his sword crossed with Luka's and finally gained the upper hand as the hunter stumbled back and Klaus was able to get quickly to his feet, just before Luka surged forward again._

_They danced around each other for the next few moments, lunging and blocking, their swords clanging._

_Finally, when Luka took a step back on his weaker foot, Klaus saw the opportunity and took it._

_With a sudden burst of energy, remembering a move Elijah pulled on him once when they were boys, the original ran forward in a blur of vampire speed, surprising Luka and knocking the hunter's sword out of his hand with his forearm. He then jumped up and wrapped his legs around Luka's neck in a choke hold, bringing him and the hunter swiftly to the ground._

_Luka now lay defenseless, struggling under the original as Klaus brought his sword up to finish the job._

_But, quickly sensing a presence behind him, the vampire looked back over his shoulder and, seeing Dominic now coming swiftly toward him through the crowd of archers that had just fallen to his wrath, rolled forward and somersaulted off of Luka, just as Dominic's sword came down hard on the dirt in the space between his brother's head and left shoulder._

_As Klaus struggled to his feet, yards away, he saw Dominic offer a quick hand to his brother, bringing Luka to his own feet, and toss him a sword.  
_

_They were making their way toward the original to continue the fight, when an arrow suddenly buzzed past Klaus' ear from behind him and landed at Luka's feet, momentarily stopping and confusing the hunters.  
_

_Soon, with the aide of vampire speed, Finn was at Klaus' side, firing off arrows at the hunters, who were, with inhuman agility, now dodging them as they continued to move forward again._

_"Klaus, go!" Finn cried, casting a sideways glance at his bleeding brother as he bend down on one knee, in the archer's stance, pulling more arrows from the quiver on his back and firing them off, "You're injured. I'll hold them off!"_

_"I'm fine…" Klaus assured him unconvincingly, grimacing as he brought his hand back to his sternum and wishing that he had some blood to heal himself, "Besides, you can't take them both on alone!"_

_"And who said I was alone?" Finn scoffed, just as a figure blurred past them and appeared behind the hunters, kicking Luka's legs out from under him and catching his sword when it flew out of his hands._

_It was Hammer Lochvud, a village werewolf._

_Dominic immediately turned back when he heard his brother go down._

_Finn saw the distraction and took the opportunity to shoot a set of three arrows into Dominic's back._

_The hunter growled predatorily, turning swiftly back toward Finn as he reached behind himself and pulled the arrows out, tossing them harshly on the ground._

_Finn immediately got to his feet beside his brother and armed his bow again._

_"That's right...keep coming…" he said in a soft, confident tone as he brought his bow to his cheek and fired another round of arrows as Dominic continued to move angrily toward them, his pace quickening as he dodged arrow after arrow and Finn kept firing._

_"Uh…Finn…" Klaus said in a worried tone, bringing his sword to the ready as the hunter closed in on them_

_"Just wait…" Finn reassured him, firing an arrow at the Dominic's head, which the hunter caught in mid-air, just inches from his face and broke in half with one hand as he kept walking._

_"For what?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow as he stepped forward anxiously to meet their enemy, but Finn immediately lowered his bow and grabbed his brother's shoulder, steadying him with his free hand as another figure now appeared swiftly in the path between Dominic and the original brothers._

_It was Elijah._

_Dominic immediately raised his sword and engaged the oldest original and they quickly started fighting, circling each other as their swords clashed._

_Finn's eyes suddenly moved past his brother to Hammer, who was now fighting with Luka a few yards away._

_"You really should go…" Finn said, turning toward Klaus, "Find the others. We'll handle this—"_

_Suddenly, Hammer cried out as Luka grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground and tossing him at least a hundred yards away, with the aide of super human strength._

_"Like Hell…" Klaus scoffed as he took off with vampire speed toward Luka  
_

_"Nik!" Finn chided, then immediately shot off a few more arrows to distract Luka until Klaus could get there  
_

_"Finn…DOWN!" Elijah suddenly cried and Finn immeidately ducked as he saw his older brother fly through the air over him, aided by Dominic who had disarmed the original before tossing him toward the archer, and landing in the dirt._

_"You alright?!" Finn shouted to his brother over his shoulder as he came back to his feet and pulled his bow to the ready_

_Elijah nodded as he sprang up, dusted himself off and arrived with vampire speed at Finn's side, removing the sword from the hilt around his younger brother's waist._

_"May I?" he quipped with a smile, tossing his long dark locks out of his face before charging back toward Dominic. _

_Finn watched as the two circled each other for a few moments, sizing each other up with their weapons at the ready, then engaged once more.  
_

_"Elijah!" Klaus suddenly cried in warning and Finn's eyes moved to his other brother, yards away, lying on the ground, bleeding from his chest wound-his left arm now torn from it's socket._

_Luka had disarmed Klaus, wounded him further and took his weapon, and now with two swinging swords, was b-lining straight for Elijah._

_The older original, his back turned and now fighting the other hunter, didn't see him coming._

_Finn quickly brought his bow to his cheek and shot a series of arrows, trying to bring down Luka before he could reach Elijah, but Luka successfully dodged each one as he approached closer._

_Finn shook his head angrily, trying to focus as he re-armed his bow swiftly._

_It was pointless to fire unless Luka was standing still or distracted…._

_Suddenly, with vampire speed, Klaus appeared behind Luka, his face ashen with the pain he was trying desperately to ignore as he wrapped his good arm swiftly around Luka's neck, using what strength he had left to still the hunter so Finn could take aim._

_Finn reacted quickly, firing a succession of ten arrows into Luka's chest. Klaus held him captive until his arm weakened against the hunter's struggle and Luka broke free. _

_Riddled with arrows, he stubbled away and Klaus collapsed._

_"Nik!" Finn cried as he raced toward his brother_

_Elijah turned briefly toward the commotion behind him, taking his eyes off of his opponent for a few seconds to take in the sight of his severely injured brother on the ground._

_It was long enough for Dominic to make his move, stabbing Elijah deeply through the stomach._

_Elijah turned back to the hunter, crying out in pain as he slumped forward, looking down at the blade protruding from his stomach._

_Finn, who was now at Klaus' side, noticed something on the ground next to his brother…_

_A white oak stake._

_it turned out the hunters weren't just armed with swords._

_Finn's eyes widened and he quickly turned back to Elijah, only to see his brother impaled on Dominic's sword and the hunter pull a white oak stake of his own from the inside of his shirt vest._

_"No…" Finn whispered, struggling to his feet, wanting desperately to get to his brother_

_But, Elijah never lost a fight and he didn't disappoint this time._

_Un-phased by the threat of the stake, straightening his posture and flaring his nostrils, the oldest original took hold of the middle of the blade and grimaced as he pulled it further into his stomach until he brought the shocked hunter within inches of his face. He then head butted him hard and knocked the stake out of his hand._

_When Dominic stumbled back, his sword pulled out of Elijah and he lost hold of it. _

_It flew in the air for a moment before Elijah caught it, and with one swift stroke, beheaded the hunter._

_Finn watched in shock as Dominic's head rolled away and Elijah fell to his knees, dropping the sword, breathless and bleeding as he brought his hand to his stomach wound._

_"Go to Elijah…I'll take care of him," Hammer said suddenly, appearing at Finn's side to care for the severely injured Klaus._

_Moments later, Finn placed a hand on Elijah's shoulder as lay his bow on the ground and came to his own knees next to his brother._

_"Luka ran off," Finn said in a low voice, studying Elijah's face_

_"Just let him go," Elijah winced then looked around them, "He's done enough for now…"_

_Finn slowly stood and followed Elijah's gaze around the center of the torch lit village, his face falling as he took in the sight of the seventy dead villagers—archers, swordsman—most of them known werewolves—in fallen lines on the ground from where the brothers stood to the outside wall surrounding the village._

# # # # #

"I—I..oh, my God…" Caroline whispered as she walked through the threshold, her eyes fixed on Stefan's body as she brought her hand to her mouth in shock, "It's true…"

Klaus' heart dropped when he saw her reaction and unable to stop the tears from coming to his own eyes, moved to her with vampire speed and took her into his arms as she sobbed.

# # # # #

"Does Elena know?" Kaspar asked softly, looking down at his hands folded on the kitchen table in front of him, then looked up to Misha sitting in the chair next to him, then to Kol leaning on the kitchen island.

"No," Misha replied with a sigh, "I've been hoping that we can keep it from her _and_ Elijah for as long as possible. Just like I'm foolishly hoping we can deal with this Dominic situation without them as well…"

"Long story short..." Kol interjected, raising an eyebrow as he took a sip from the glass of wine in his hand, "Misha wants Elijah to get a happy ending and doesn't want to ruin it just yet."

"Misha," Kaspar said, turning to his brother, "I understand your feelings, but I think it would be a good idea if we called Elijah and got him back here—"

"I've already called him," Rebekah said, appearing suddenly in the kitchen doorway and taking in the three shocked expressions that now came her way, "I didn't tell him about Stefan, but I told him _not_ to come home."

"Bekah…" Kol whispered in a bewildered voice, putting down his wine glass

"I—I don't understand…" Misha said, narrowing his eyes

" Remember what Damon said when we got here? That Dominic had a message for us? I don't think Stefan's death was a random result of a vampire hunter on the lose."

"You think he planned it?" Kaspar asked, now leaning forward, intrigued

Rebekah nodded

"Think about it…we've been here _for hours._ He hasn't broken down that door or burned the house. He _knows_ we are in here-he knows _right_ where we are-"

"_What?"_ Misha said, stunned

"I saw him," Rebekah confirmed, "When I tried to open an upstairs window just now_…He's outside_."

"Whoa…" Kol said, straightening immediately as Misha pushed back his chair and quickly stood, moving to the french doors that looked out into the side yard.

"So he doesn't want in…" Kaspar said, locking eyes with Rebekah

"He's here to make sure we don't get out," Misha said softly, turning back from the doors, rubbing his hand nervously over his face before pointing over his shoulder, "She's right…he's out there on top of the garage."

"Oh, my God…" Kol said in disbelief, looking from the warlocks to his sister, then moved quickly to the french doors to look out himself, but Misha put a hand on his chest to stop him, shaking his head.

"It's best if we don't all look out there. He might think something is up."

"So Stefan was bait to get us here and _what?_ We are the trap?" Kol asked, turning back

"Yes." Rebekah affirmed

"For what?" Kol asked, "What does he want?"

"It's not what, it's who..." Misha answered closing his eyes in realization, "It's for Elijah."

"Elijah?" Kaspar asked, genuinely taken aback

"A thousand years ago, Elijah killed a servant of nature. He's a marked man now that Dominic has been raised," Misha replied opening his eyes and focusing them on Rebekah, "That's why he _can't_ come home."

Rebekah nodded as she watched Misha move toward the door and pass her as he crossed the threshold.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Kaspar called

"I'm going upstairs to do something I should have done along time ago…" Misha said, turning back to them, "I need to talk to Damon and find out what my brother told him to tell me."

# # # # #

"So what are you going to do?" Katherine asked, leaning forward on the island as she watched Elijah busy himself, putting random ingredients in the blender between them, making the 'Miracle Concoction'.

"Honestly, I _don't know,"_ he sighed, as he placed the lid on the blender, "I'll have to give it more thought…talk to Elena. But, I have to admit that my heart is telling me to get in my car _right now_ and drive back to Mystic Falls. _However, _at the same time, my head is telling me that I _shouldn't_—that they are safe for now and that perhaps it's best that I just stay away."

"Well, I'm _definitely _on Team 'Don't Stake Klaus', you know, in the interest of self-preservation and all…" Katherine replied, "But I don't think staying away is the right solution. That certainly _doesn't _sound like the Elijah I know. He doesn't run from a fight."

Elijah smirked as he turned on the blender and they stared at each other silently as the machine's loud noise filled the room.

When it stopped, Elijah pulled the pitcher out of the stand

"You're right. I've never run from a fight, ever since I first picked up a sword as a young boy," Elijah sighed, taking a glass and pouring the contents of the pitcher into it, "There was actually a time when I welcomed a good fight… but _now_…"

"Oh, don't tell me you're getting _old_," Katherine smirked, straightening as she watched Elijah leaned over and unplug the blender, "Besides, you said you fought this hunter before and won…am I right?"

"It's not that simple, Katerina. The last time I faced Dominic, my brother nearly died, _I_ nearly died and half the male population of our village was decimated. It was a heavy price to pay and I'm guessing that the price will probably be even heavier this time around…it _always_ is with magic."

"Well, while you figure out your next move, is there anything you want _me_ to do?" Katherine asked, eying him as she folded her arms across her chest.

"If you are willing, I would appreciate you returning to Mystic Falls and keeping an eye on what is going on there," Elijah said, "Call me and keep me posted. Rebekah will be my eyes and ears inside the house, but I would appreciate eyes and ears outside the house."

Katherine gave a thoughtful nod as she unfolded her arms and stepped back from the island as she watched Elijah step around and start to make his way toward the kitchen doorway.

"You got it," she replied

"Thanks," Elijah smirked sadly over his shoulder at her

They stared at each other for a few moments before Elijah spoke, twirling the glass in his hands

"I would say that it's been a pleasure seeing you Katerina, but given the circumstances and how you made your entrance…"

"Oh, _come on_…" Katherine smiled cheekily, "Admit it…it was pretty good. "

Elijah scoffed and rolled his eyes, relenting with a small smile of his own, "Very well."

Katherine suddenly put her hand up on Elijah's face, studying it for a moment, and surprisingly, the original saw a glimpse of the young peasant girl he knew five centuries before.

"Like I said before…" she whispered as if it was a secret between the two of them, "_I know you, _Elijah and I know that this is your brave face—that deep down you are worried—terrified for your siblings…But, it's going to be okay. It will work out…I know that because I know _you. _You'll figure it out…you'll find a way. You always do._"_

Elijah closed his eyes and sighed.

Unable to speak, he just nodded and felt Katherine pull back, releasing his face.

But, when Elijah opened his eyes, she was gone.

# # # #

Elijah knocked softly on Elena's bedroom door and waited, looking down to the drink in his hand.

"Come in," Elena said in a groggy voice and Elijah opened the door.

The bed was unmade and empty and Elijah narrowed his eyes as he quickly scanned the room for Elena

Soon, the bathroom door opened and Elena walked out in one of the white guest bathrobes, smoothing her hair behind her ears.

She stopped and blushed slightly at the sight of the original in the center of her bedroom.

"Hi," she whispered in a low voice, adverting her gaze and putting her hand to her forehead

"How are we feeling this morning?" he asked, eying her with concern

"My head is _pounding_…" Elena replied with an embarrassed smile, "And I don't really remember a lot from last night."

"I hate to break it to you, but that tends to happen when you get a little carried away with the Bourbon," Elijah smirked, stepping forward and handing her the glass in his hand, "Here. I have something that will help take the edge off—it's a little 'miracle concoction' I whipped up for you."

Elena took the glass and eyed it's odd color suspiciously for a moment. She then leaned forward and smelled the top of the glass, immediately pulling back.

"Oh! What is_ in_ this?" she chuckled, looking up to the original

"_Don't ask_…" Elijah replied, shaking his head, "All I know is that it works wonders. Just close your eyes, plug your nose and drink up."

"Okay…" Elena said, making a squeamish face before taking a drink

Elijah watched as her face contorted when the mixture hit her tongue, but she obediently swallowed, then stuck her tongue out and coughed

"It's delicious," she lied, looking down at the glass with disdain and Elijah laughed under his breath

"I'm sorry," he lamented, "If I could make it taste like cotton candy, I would."

Elena gave a shy smile, then made her way past him and back toward her bed, drink in hand.

Elijah watched her as she took a seat on the comforter and studied him with curious and anxious eyes.

Something was up.

He could tell.

"Is something wrong, Elena?" he asked in a worried tone, walking toward her

"Uh…no…" Elena said quickly, smoothing the bathrobe over the top of her legs with her free hand, "It's just—well…"

She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath to steady herself, then opened them, continuing.

"I told you before that I can't remember much from last night…"

"Yes…" Elijah encouraged

"Well, I sort of woke up _naked_ in my bed this morning and… well, I saw your clothes from last night on the chair nearby and_..._" Elena said, shooting him a knowing look as she trailed off

"_Oh…_" Elijah said in sudden realization, "_Oh!_ No…_we didn't_—I mean I stayed with you and slept next to you last night, but —"

"Not that it would be bad if we _did_…" Elena immediately interjected, " Actually, I would imagine that that would be quite _good_…" she then stopped for a moment and met Elijah's gaze with another shy smile, before looking down as she continued with furrowed eyebrows, "But things are just so complicated right now—"

"Elena…we _didn't _have sex last night." Elijah confirmed with a reassuring smile, but his heart swelled involuntarily that she would even have such thoughts about him—about _them_, "We slept together...in the literal sense, I mean."

"Okay…" Elena sighed in nervous relief, looking down into her glass again.

There was a moment of silence as Elijah studied her, then moved closer, taking a seat on the bed next to her.

"But, something did happen _this morning_…" Elijah said and Elena turned to face him, "And it does have something to do with you waking up naked in your bed."

Elena eyed the original curiously as he took in a deep breath, then said the next four words.

"We had a visitor."


	23. Chapter 23

_**((Hey all! Thanks for returning! I gotta say that I really enjoyed this week's episode "The Originals". I absolutely adored the character of Marcel, though I have to say I was a little shocked at first because he looks a lot like what I imagined Misha to look like in my head when I created his character (well, except for the fact that Misha is a part-time drag queen, LOL!) And when Klaus walked into that bar in New Orleans and Marcel was singing 'How You Like Me Now?'…oh my God, I had serious flashbacks to Misha dancing in the kitchen to the same song back in Chapter 32 of 'Lies My Brother Told Me'. Well, any who, I'm excited to see how the TVD Season 4 ends! Enjoy this next chapter.))**_

"He was always so kind and sympathetic toward me when I was human…'stupid, spastic, Caroline'…" Caroline said softly, a tear streaming down her right cheek as she took a seat in the chair beside the bed and took Stefan's hand in hers, biting her trembling lip as she studied it, "And after I turned, he was still there for me—helping me—teaching me to control myself and to believe in myself and embrace my new life, almost like he knew who and what I could be as a vampire before I ever did…" she closed her eyes and smiled sadly as she suddenly felt Klaus' hand on her shoulder, then wiped the tear from her cheek away with her free hand before placing it over the Original's, "I'll miss him."

"It's funny…" Klaus said in quiet tone, "We knew Stefan Salvatore as two _completely_ different people—I knew him as 'The Ripper of Monterrey' and you knew him as an animal blood drinking, sensitive, high school heartthrob—but he ended up helping us both in the same way."

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked as she looked back over her shoulder at Klaus, her wet eyes narrowing in curiosity

Klaus paused for a moment, studying Stefan's still body with reverence before a small smirk crossed his lips.

"_Friendship_…" Klaus replied, "He gave it to us freely and when we were both completely and utterly alone... and felt like we least deserved it."

# # # # # #

Misha took in a breath as he approached Damon's bedroom door and slowly raised his hand, closing his eyes for a moment to steady himself before opening them again and knocking softly.

The warlock waited, but there was no answer, only silence.

Misha knocked again, then placed his hand flat on against the wood, trying to feel for the vampire's presence behind the door.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing his energies…

His psychic gifts didn't fail him.

Immediately he knew Damon was in there.

Misha opened his eyes and leaned his forehead against the door.

"Damon…" he said softly

When the vampire didn't answer, Misha tried again.

"Damon, its Misha. I need to talk to you… I know it's not the best time and I'm probably the _last person_ you want to see right now, but I need your help. It's about Dominic—"

Misha suddenly stopped talking when he heard footsteps approach the door and pulled back when he saw the doorknob turn and the tired and ash pale face of Damon Salvatore peer around the door when it opened.

Damon narrowed his pale green eyes at the warlock, studying him for a moment before taking a swig from the wine bottle in his hand and smacking his lips together.

"So I take it you've _finally_ noticed that your brother's got us locked up in here like jail bait while he patrols outside."

"How did you know—" Misha interjected, surprised, but Damon just scoffed

"I have _a window_," the vampire chided in a slurred voice as he opened the door completely and jerked his head toward the bay window on the other side of the room, then sighed, "I _had_ planned on looking out of it in contemplative thought while I wallow in my grief, but every time I do, I just feel more and more like Jimmy Carter during the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis."

Misha wanted to laugh at the comparison, but decided it was best to keep focus as he stepped into the room and Damon closed the door behind them.

"He's been out there for _hours_…just pacing on the lawn and perching on the garage," Damon said with sad eyes then took another swig from the wine bottle as he took a seat on the end of his unmade bed, "Gotta say...it's kinda _creepy_.And that's saying _alot_ coming from me."

"Damon," Misha said, swallowing as he took a seat on the bed next to the vampire, "First of all, please believe me when I tell you that…I had no idea that this would happen or that Stefan—" Misha stopped abruptly, taking in a deep breath as he lowered his gaze to his tightly folded hands in his lap, then straightened as he continued softly, "I—I just want you to know that I'm truly sorry. I know what it's like to lose a brother… _and, _contrary to popular belief, I want you to know that neither Kaspar, nor myself, had a hand in Dominic's return—we are just as surprised as you by it and we want to stop him more than _anyone_ and make this right…" Misha now brought his gaze up to meet Damon's, "But we need your help."

Damon just studied the warlock in silence for a few moments before he closed his eyes in pain and nodded, taking another swig from the bottle before opening his eyes and wiping the tears from them with his free hand as he answered.

"You have it," he whispered, his voice trembling with uncertainty, "W—what do you need?"

Misha nodded. He knew Damon was still angry and hurt, and probably would be for a very long time, but the warlock had to admire him for sucking it up and acknowledging the situation at hand.

"Second, when we arrived, you mentioned Dominic said something before he…" Misha started, but stopped when Damon suddenly winced and closed his eyes in grief at the memory of his brother's death, squeezing the wine bottle in his fist, immediately shattering it.

Misha flinched slightly, but never took his eyes off of Damon as the vampire slowly opened his eyes and looked down to the cut on his hand, left from the broken glass.

Damon studied the injury for a moment then whispered, "I have blood on my hand…"

"It will heal—" Misha tried to reassure Damon

"No," Damon said softly, shaking his head as he cut him off, his eyes mesmerized by the blood, "It will leave a scar…a _really big_ scar…"

Misha closed his eyes as he realized that Damon wasn't talking about his hand, sighing deeply

Suddenly, Damon brought himself out of his trance and returned his gaze to the warlock

"Man må dø, slik at man kan leve…" Damon whispered, "That's what the hunter said before he—before he—he— well…_you know_…"

"'One must die, so that I may live'…" Misha immediately opened his eyes and turned to Damon, translating the language of his youth instantly in his head as soon as heard the words, "You're sure that is what he said?"

"I'll remember those words for the rest of my undead life…" Damon smirked sadly, looking down at the wound on his palm as it started healing

"_Live…_" Misha whispered to himself, his eyes narrowing as the realization hit him, "Interesting…it's like he's told us his plan from the beginning. 'One must die so that I may live'...and he's here because of one death—Matt Donovan's. He set the trap in this house with one death—Stefan's—to ensure the death of one original vampire—Elijah…well, that is _obvious_ or else we would all be dead by now—"

"_Wait_," Damon interjected, "So you're saying that we're bait for _Elijah_?"

Misha shot him a knowing look and the vampire sighed as he glanced at the window out of the corner of his eye.

"Now it really_ does_ feel like 1979…" Damon whispered

"Elijah killed Dominic a thousand years ago after my Mother made him and his twin brother the first vampire hunters, to bring balance to nature and destroy the originals after Esther first turned them," Misha said, knitting his brow in thought, "Dominic wants revenge and he's clever. He knew that once the Originals got wind he was back, it would be game over. So, he sets a trap here and draws us into it. _But,_ when he finds out Elijah isn't in Mystic Falls, he decides to wait and use _us_ to draw him out."

"They always say 'revenge is best served cold'," Damon scoffed softly, "But after a _thousand years_, his must be frozen _solid_…"

"Yeah," Misha smirked for a moment, then narrowed his eyes, "_However_… after what you just told me, I don't think that revenge is _all _he wants."

"So the plot thickens…" Damon said, genuinely intrigued

"It's the wording he used…" Misha whispered, biting his lip, "_Live_."

Damon cocked his head and Misha continued, explaining, "A thousand years ago, when my Mother made my brothers hunters, she called on the spirits to do it. But, like the spell Esther cast, the spell my Mother performed, had _consequences_—side effects of sorts. You see, my brothers became monsters themselves…" Misha eyes saddened as he remembered looking across the fire pit into his younger brothers' lifeless eyes that night in the woods a millennium before when they had tried to kill him, "In the end…they lost their souls… their essences sent out into the spirit realm and replaced with that of demons—demons that could sense _other demons…"_

"Like vampires…" Damon straightened

"And werewolves," Misha added solemnly

Damon shook his head in disbelief as Misha continued, "And like the vampires and werewolves they were meant to hunt, they had abilities—strength, speed, agility, heightened senses—"

"Oh, I'm aware of his _abilities_…" Damon interrupted in a knowing whisper then took in a deep breath, "What exactly is your _point _here?"

"My _point_ is that I think Dominic wants his revenge. But once it's done, he wants to _live_ …he wants to be truly alive—he's had a thousand years on the other side, watching and waiting—he wants to be human again."

"_What?"_ Damon said, taken aback, "He looked pretty alive to me—"

"_No…_" Misha replied with a raised eyebrow, "He's _not _alive…not without his soul."

# # # # #

"Damon…" Caroline whispered, catching a glimpse of the older Salvatore brother as she crossed the threshold into the kitchen with Klaus at her side.

"Hey Barbie," he smiled sadly as he pushed himself off of the counter island where he had been leaning and she walked into his embrace.

"I'm _so sorry_," Caroline said softly into his half-open, rumpled shirt

They held each other for a moment before Damon kissed her hair and whispered a barely audible, "Thanks" and she pulled back, giving him a sympathetic smile before turning to the several pairs of eyes that were now fixed on them, wiping under her eyes as she took in the sight of Kol, Rebekah, Misha and Kaspar all sitting around the kitchen table.

"Well, now that everyone is here…" Misha said as he watched Klaus pull up a chair for Caroline from the breakfast bar, "we can talk about our little predicament."

"'Predicament'?" Klaus scoffed, "That's a tad flip, isn't it? We are trapped in a Victorian mansion by a thousand year-old vampire hunter who wants to keep us as live bait until big brother gets here—at which time said hunter will most likely kill him and then us…or maybe just _us_…I guess it depends on his mood—"

"_Nik_…" Rebekah chided, "Will you just stop with the snide comments for ten seconds and _listen_? We all know the seriousness of the situation and what it means for _all of us, _but Misha's got something that could change the game."

"And I think that what Caroline and I have discovered may have some usefulness as well," Kaspar interjected

"Very well," Klaus said, rolling his eyes as leaned on the back of Caroline's chair, "What's this 'game changer'."

Misha looked to Damon and the vampire took a deep breath as he stepped forward.

"When Dominic came to the house tonight and…." Damon stopped, closing his eyes, "When he—Okay, long story short, as I mentioned when you all arrived, he gave me a message to give to his brothers…."

"And?" Kol prompted, curiously

Damon opened his mouth to speak, but sensing his overwhelming grief and the sensitivity of the subject, Misha interjected to spare the vampire any further pain

"Man må dø, slik at man kan leve," the warlock repeated in his native tongue

"'One must die so that I may live'…" Rebekah whispered, translating the phrase, then looking around the table at the others.

"Now we know that Dominic returned because Matt Donovan's death—his blood spilled on the sacred ground where Dominic was buried—completed the resurrection spell I was unable to finish a thousand years ago…" Kaspar said, then suddenly looked down, seemingly in shame when the originals gave him knowing glances.

After a moment of silence, the necromancer cleared his throat and continued, "We also know that the 'one life' prophecy in his message was also completed with Stefan's death, which Dominic used to lure us all here to be bait for the _one person_ he truly wants dead…Elijah."

"_Ah!_ We know all this!" Klaus cried, throwing his hands in the air impatiently, "We don't need to decipher this phrase like its 'The DaVinci Code' or something—"

"Just _wait_, Niklaus," Misha urged, holding up a hand to silence Klaus, "There is a point to this."

Klaus sighed and crossed his arms, giving Kaspar an indignant look as he shut up and let the necromancer continue.

"_Live,"_ Kaspar said, keeping his eyes locked on Klaus as he picked up where he let off, "'One must die so that I may _live_'."

"I'm confused…" Caroline said, narrowing her eyes as she looked around the room, "Dominic is already alive, isn't he?"

"Not necessarily," Rebekah said, sitting forward, "When the witch Ayanna, Misha and Kaspar's mother, turned her sons into vampire hunters to restore balance and kill my siblings and I, she essentially turned them into monsters as well. They were soulless—their heightened senses and abilities bestowed on them by replacing their essences with that of a demon."

"Dominic hasn't been our real—human—brother for a thousand years…" Misha said, looking around the room with sad eyes

"And he wants to live again…" Klaus whispered in sudden realization, locking eyes with Misha, "So he wants his _soul_ back?"

"And thus, we have a bargaining chip," Kaspar added in a resolute voice, sitting back in his chair

"How so?" Kol inquired

"You heard Rebekah," Klaus said, "When Dominic and Luka became hunters, their essences were released into the spirit realm-here in Mystic Falls. He must think that it's still here or that something here holds the key to finding finding it and that's good news for us. We have two _very powerful_ warlocks sitting at this table. We just need to do a spell to-"

"I know what you're thinking, but we can't just call his soul out of the ether, Klaus," Misha said, "It doesn't work that way. There are _rules_. The spirits-our ancestors-if we try something that dangerous..."

"They might turn on us," Kaspar added, "Besides, there is no guarantee that we would be able to summon it after so many centuries."

"We don't have to use magic...we still have Johnathan Gilbert," Caroline suddenly interjected in a knowing voice, her eyes meeting Kaspar's and the necromancer gave a small smile, "When Kaspar was in his Rip Van Winkle-esque sleep, he said Luka, Dominic's twin brother came to him and told him that he had deciphered their tattoos and that the key to stopping Dominic lay in his tattoos…" she quickly reached into her jean jacket pocket and plucked out the map they had hastily drawn at the Mikaelson Mansion and held it up for everyone to see, "He also drew this line grid map and gave it Kaspar. We mapped it out and figure out it leads us to a spot in the historic district of Mystic Falls…"

Caroline suddenly turned to Damon, "It's Elena's house…and two hundred years before, where the original Gilbert Manison stood."

"There is something at Elena's house that Luka thinks we can use to stop Dominic—perhaps a _weapon_—or something to help us decode the tatoos…perhaps even something related to his soul...I'm not sure. He wasn't clear on the facts," Kaspar said, shaking his head, then turned his gaze toward his brother and Damon Salvatore, "That is why we need you two."

"Us?" Damon narrowed his eyes in confusion, "What are you saying?"

"He's _saying_ that we once _knew_ Jonathan Gilbert, Damon," Misha said, looking over his shoulder toward the vampire, "So we would be the best people to know what we might be looking for."

"You were his valet for years," Damon said to the warlock, shrugging his shoulders "I just saw him at dinner parties and council meetings. The only thing I knew about him was that he was an inventor—"

"Yes," Kaspar interjected, "He was well known in supernatural circles for such inventions."

"And…he was a bit _off_…he—he kept these _journals_…" Damon continued, "I remember seeing him writing in them at council meetings. The Gilberts kept them for years after he died—"

"Oh, my _GOD!"_ Caroline suddenly cried, jumping up, "Of course! The _journals!_ _That's it_! That would be the best way to find what we are looking for. They're probably still at Elena's house—"

"Fabulous!" Klaus smirked, "But how will we get them, Love? If you haven't noticed we're in Fort Knox—"

"Actually," Misha pointed out, "Damon compared it to the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979."

Klaus covered his mouth and chuckled under his breath, "Oh..._._that's_ good!"_

Damon smirked sadly, "I'm Jimmy Carter…"

Suddenly, Misha, Kaspar, Caroline and Klaus all burst out laughing, leaving Rebekah and Kol to just stare at eachother in confusion.

"Who is Jimmy Carter?" Kol asked, genuinely confused, eying the two warlocks and two vampires and they just laughed harder

When they all finally came down, Caroline pulled out her phone out of her back pocket and scrolled through the contacts.

"Jeremy is at their house right now with Bonnie," she said, "I'll call him."

"Hold on!" Kaspar said, putting up a hand to stop her, his eyes realizing something, "We can't make calls without the possibility of him overhearing the frequency. _In fact_, he's probably heard every word we've been saying for the past three hours."

"Shit..." Misha cursed softly under his breath, hitting his hand hard on the table in disgust

"Well, even if that's the case, we can't let him hear anything else…" Klaus said

"And just what exactly do you propose?" Kaspar asked

Klaus smirked then disappeared from the room with vampire speed.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion for a few moments until Klaus returned with a large coin sorter in his hands.

"_Hey... Ho! _Hold up! That's Stefan's!" Damon cried, stepping forward as Klaus opened the lid and dumped the massive pile of coins into the center of the table.

"Let's go everyone!" Klaus quipped, tossing the coin sorter over his shoulder, "Don't be shy! Grab a handful—"

"What the _Hell _is this?" Rebekah chided with a raised eyebrow

"In honor of our big brother who could not be with us," Klaus announced, looking around the room, "This is a WWED moment... 'What Would Elijah Do?' And what _would_ Elijah do?" Klaus stepped back and pointed down to the coin pile, "Elijah would pull out one of his oldest tricks."

"This is _brilliant!_" Kol chuckled as he grabbed a handful of coins


	24. Chapter 24

"_Hey_! Easy on the _goods_!" Misha cried, struggling not to drop the handful of coins in his hands as Kaspar pulled him by his arm into the privacy of the downstairs bathroom and closed the door quickly behind them.

"Oh, _relax!_" Kaspar scoffed, trying to keep his voice low as Misha twisted harshly out of his grasp, "You're 'goods' are safe."

"_Relax_?" the warlock complained, immediately stretching his arm and rolling his shoulder to get the kinks out from being manhandled by his brother, "I've got two shows this weekend…_that is_, if I can ever return to my normal life anytime soon—"

"Misha, you're a drag queen!" Kaspar rolled his eyes with a small smirk, "How is that even remotely _normal?_"

"Oh! That's _rich_ coming from someone who put's people's essences in dead bodies for a living!" Misha shot back, straightening his posture defensively, "_I,_ on the other hand, bring dead people to life! My Liza is _phenomenal!_ A show stopper!"

Kaspar laughed mockingly, shaking his head

"Okay, _fine_!" Kaspar relented, holding up his hands in defeat, "_White flag_… and I quit! Can we talk like rational human beings now?"

"You call _this_ rational_?"_ Misha smirked, "You've shoved me into a hallway bathroom that's no bigger than a can of sardines without any explanation—"

Kaspar suddenly gave him a hard look, then brought his hand to his lips, motioning for his brother to zip his mouth and then pointed to the coins in Misha's hands as he pulled his own handful of coins that Klaus had divided among them from his pocket and they each started gently tossing the coins from one hand to the other, instantly creating a melodic tone of metal clanking.

When they were certain that interference was created and neither Dominic, nor the vampires in the other room, would be able to hear what they were saying, Kaspar leaned back on the sink, still running the coins through his fingers as he studied his brother.

"What the Hell is going on Kaspar?" Misha asked, narrowing his eyes as he fingered his own coins, "What could you possible want to talk about in a commode, out of earshot of everyone?"

"I think you _know,_" his brother answered with a raised eyebrow and Misha sighed, closing his eyes.

"You mean that extra caveat on the whole 'One must die so that I may live'?" the warlock answered softly, looking down to his still moving hands

"Misha, you and I both know that it's not the first time we've heard that phrase as warlocks— and that it's not just _any_ random phrase, but an ancient _command_ from the spirits of nature—the equivalent of magical _law_," Kaspar said, trying to meet his brother's gaze

Misha nodded as he lifted his head and looked straight into his brother's eyes, "I _know_. It reared its ugly head back when we faced Esther and we were trying to transfer Klaus' soul into Ioan's body…Mother reminded me."

"Then you understand its true meaning," Kaspar continued, looking over his shoulder toward the closed door and their friends on the other side, "that if Dominic is to get his soul back, someone must die and not just _any _someone and _not_ from the list of people we've named who have already fallen…they are _not enough_—"

"It has to be a human," Misha said softly, "A human must die for the scales to balance…for Dominic to get back his human life and regain his soul."

Kaspar nodded sadly, studying his brother as they stood in silence for a moment, then spoke again

"I didn't want to alarm the others, so I didn't bring it up during our little pow-wow out there, but Matt Donovan-though he _was _a human and his blood awakened Dominic- his death will not count since he was used as _Klaus'_ sacrifice… and well, Stefan and Elijah are _vampires_…"

"Then it has to be someone else…" Misha acknowledged

"And it means we have some decisions to make here, Misha… get a few things straight between us," Kaspar said in a calm and resolute voice, taking in a deep breath before continuing, "Should we focus on finding Dominic's soul _or_ look for a means of his destruction?"

Misha sighed reluctantly, "Both."

Kaspar nodded in the affirmative, then asked, "Should we bargain with him if we find a way to obtain his soul—our lives and Elijah's in exchange for us performing the rituals of the return of said soul to his body, even if it means a human sacrifice to balance the scales?"

Misha nodded and Kaspar nodded the affirmative again

"If Luka is right," Kaspar continued, "that their tattoos are the key and we find a way to exercise Dominic—send his demon to purgatory and him to Valhalla …do you want me to?"

"Yes." Misha replied without hesitation, "But, honestly, I think we could use _both_ of the before-mentioned scenarios to our advantage."

Kaspar narrowed his eyes, for a moment then asked, "You mean bait him like he's been baiting us?"

Misha nodded, "Dominic knows by now, listening in to our conversations, that we know what his plan is. He _also_ knows that we have the information Luka gave us, that we know about the tattoos, we have a lead on Johnathan Gilbert, and that we are planning on finding his soul and using it as a possible bargaining chip. _But,_ what if we use the bargaining chip _not_ to bargain? What if we use it just to get _close_ to him—you and I—face to face—close enough to finish what Luka was talking about…"

"To decipher his tattoos and find his weakness…then kill him and send him back," Kaspar realized, his eyes widening

"It would be a win-win," Misha concluded

"The scales would balance and there would be no need for a human sacrifice…" Kaspar said softly

Misha nodded with a sad smile, "Elijah and the others would be safe and Dominic…wouldn't exactly get to be human again… but he would be free and so would his soul."

# # # # # #

Bonnie's eyes rolled back in her head as her eyelids fluttered before opening slowly.

Taking in a deep breath and stretching her arm back on the pillow, she looked around the room above her then down to the bed she was lying on, recognizing the place immediately as Jeremy Gilbert's bedroom.

But, she was alone and Jeremy was nowhere to be found.

How long had she been asleep?

The last thing she remembered was leaving Misha, Kaspar and Elijah back at the Salvatore Mansion after they had explained how they had brought her back and Jeremy taking her to his house to keep her safe.

They relaxed on the couch, cuddled and watched movies until late into the night…but, that's all she remembered.

She sighed as she tried to lift her head, rolling her shoulders as she slowly sat up on the edge of the bed, still in the clothes from the night Esther had killed her.

Getting her bearings and assuring herself that she wouldn't throw up, Bonnie finally stood. She was a little unsteady, but slowly, she tried to make her way around the end of the bed, grabbing the bed posts for support as she went.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the doorway and Bonnie jolted, falling back against the bed in shock and bouncing off the mattress before falling on her hands and knees onto the hardwood floor.

It was Emily Bennett.

Her eyes were dark and cold as they connected with Bonnie's frightened ones as the young witch looked up at her ancestor.

"The heart of the invention is the _soul_…" Emily whispered, then turned and walked back through the threshold.

Bonnie scrambled to her feet and, stumbling as quickly as she could without falling over from dizziness, followed the witch.

When she finally made it to the threshold, falling against the door frame out of exhaustion, she looked up and down the hallway…

But it was empty and Emily was gone.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps and watched as Jeremy reached the top landing of the staircase

"Hey, there sleepy head," he smiled, holding a mug of steaming coffee, presumably for her, in his hands

Bonnie smiled back weakly, straightening on the door frame and readying herself to walk forward and meet him, when she suddenly sensed something…or rather _someone_… nearby.

She turned quickly and immediately found Johnathan Gilbert, Jeremy and Elena's ancestor, standing at her side, causing her to fall back against the door frame again in shock.

Bonnie knew it was the inventor because she had seen his picture once at City Hall when she was a child. He stood in period clothing and eyed the two of them with curiosity for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the Gilbert compass.

Bonnie looked to Jeremy, but he didn't seem to notice his ancestor standing there, he just kept his eyes on the witch with a soft smile on his lips and the coffee still in hand.

Bonnie immediately shifted her stunned gaze back to Johnathan Gilbert as she watched him study the compass in his palm as it started to spin wildly.

Then, finally, after a few moments, it stopped and pointed directly at Jeremy.

Bonnie gasped as Johnathan Gilbert looked up from the compass toward his descendent.

"One must die, so that I may live…" the inventor said in a low, almost inhuman voice, his eyes flashing darkly.

Then, before Bonnie could say or do anything, he disappeared and in a flash re-appeared in front of Jeremy Gilbert, then with one swift motion tore the teenager's heart from his chest with his free hand.

"No!" Bonnie screamed as Jeremy fell and the coffee mug smashed to pieces as it hit the floor.

# # # # #

"No!" Bonnie cried as she opened her eyes and sat straight up in bed.

She quickly eyed her surroundings and took in a staggered breath when she realized she was in Jeremy's room…

In his bed…

And he was safe, sleeping soundly next to her in his favorite Megadeth T-shirt.

Bonnie smiled in relief, then suddenly felt light headed and fell back onto the pillow, squinting toward the sun that now shown through the blinds as she ran a hand over her sweating forehead.

She tried to calm herself from her nightmare, closing her eyes and taking steady breaths as she reached out and caressed Jeremy's shoulder for reassurance.

Suddenly, she jumped when the land line phone in the Gilbert house rang, clutching the comforter closer around her.

Moments later, Jeremy grumbled and turned on his side toward the night stand, reaching blindly for the phone on the third ring.

"Hello?" he answered in a groggy voice, not even opening his eyes as he pulled the phone haphazardly to his right ear.

There was a pause as he rolled over and Bonnie watched him rub a hand over his face, then stretch his arm as he finally opened his eyes and listened.

"The Gilbert journals?" he asked as he struggled to sit up on his elbows, "Yeah...Caroline...um...Elena brought the rest of them home from the lake house...I think they're around here _somewhere_."


	25. Chapter 25

_**((So we all know Candice Accola can sing, so I don't think this is too far fetched:) It just came to me in the shower the other day after my husband heard Carrie Underwood's version of "How Great Thou Art" and remarked how much Candice reminded him of her when she sang. I know...right? My husband is fan of TVD, what can I say. If you haven't heard Carrie Underwood's live version of "How Great Thou Art", seriously...It's amazing! Watch it here: watch?v=pLLMzr3PFgk. Anywho. Enjoy. Elejah next chapter))**_

"_Oh!_ Oh my God," Rebekah exclaimed, closing her eyes in bliss for a few moments as she chewed, then opened them and pointed down to her plate with her empty fork, "I think that's probably… _the best_ _thing_ I've _ever _put into my mouth!" She immediately looked of the corner of her eye at Damon, sitting next to her at the kitchen table, "No offense, Damon."

"None taken," Damon replied politely as he wrapped some pasta around his own fork

"_Ahh!_ _Gross! "_ Kol cried suddenly, dropping the knife he was using to slice garlic bread at the kitchen island and covering his ears, causing Misha to laugh as he poured himself a glass of wine on the counter nearby.

"Well, I've lost _my_ appetite!" Klaus said with a raised eyebrow, tossing his napkin on the table next to his half-finished plate of pasta Bolognese and stood from where he sat between Damon and Kaspar, "I think I'll just see where Caroline has gotten to."

"If you see her, tell her we're getting bored and we're breaking out the board games soon," Kol said, his dark eyes following his older brother as he crossed the room, bringing his hands down and resumed his slicing, "Does she like Parcheesi?"

Klaus opened his mouth to reply, but Damon quickly interrupted, "Who _doesn't_ like Parcheesi?"

"I don't," Misha offered with a chuckle as he took a sip from his wine glass.

"Me neither," Rebekah added with her mouth full, raising her hand

"Count me out," Kaspar concurred

"_Really_?" Kol sighed in exasperation, studying the traitors as he put his knife down again and took a swig from the wine bottle where Misha had left it on the counter, "Do you people have _any _class?"

# # # # # # #

Caroline looked down at her phone in her lap, lighting up the main screen.

Nothing…

No calls, no texts.

It had been at least forty minutes since she had called Jeremy and Bonnie and apprised them of the situation.

They had said that they needed some time to find the Gilbert journals…But, patience wasn't always one of her virtues.

Caroline sighed as she turned the screen off then turned her eyes back toward Stefan, reaching a hand out and taking his hand in hers.

She took in a deep breath, smiling sadly as she slid forward in the chair next to his bed, leaning in closer to him.

"You know, I have a confession to make…" she whispered, "After I became a vampire, I remembered all the things that I was compelled to forget when I was human…like the fact that you and I met four months _before_ that first day of school when you mysteriously 'arrived' in Mystic Falls to live with your uncle."

Caroline looked down to her hand in Stefan's, remembering the handshake they had shared that day four years ago.

"It was in the church…the day of ..." she suddenly stopped, tears now coming to her eyes at the memory and she wiped them away with her free hand, "You told me afterwards, in the receiving line, that I had the 'voice of an angel' and that it had warmed your heart…"

She sniffed then cast her eyes toward Stefan's face.

"Well, Stefan Salvatore, this angel is going to sing for _you_ now."

# # # # # #

_**Mystic Falls, 2009**_

_Stefan straightened his black striped tie and removed his sunglasses as he solemnly entered the church late and stood in a corner at the back as to not be seen by anyone as the service started, his eyes completely transfixed on the teenage girl in the front row with the long, dark brown hair. _

_He had been watching her for days since the car accident he had rescued her from—the accident that had claimed the life of the people Stefan now believed to be her parents and who occupied the two mahogany caskets now resting at the front of the church, blanketed in white roses. _

_He listened intently, still studying the girl and her family as the pastor and guest speakers talked about Miranda and Grayson Gilbert and how they had been devoted parents, community leaders and well-respected physicians. _

_Stefan closed his eyes, his mind immediately flashing back to his own memory of Miranda and Grayson Gilbert—that night when he had been out hunting in the woods and had heard their car go off the Wickery Bridge. _

_Not long after diving into the water, he had found the vehicle resting on the bottom of the quarry. _

_In the front seat, he saw a man and a woman. The woman was unconscious, but the man was pushing against the driver's side door, struggling to get it open._

_Stefan could see through the window that he was running out of time, ready to pass out at any minute. He reached for the door handle, ready to rip the door off, but the man immediately made eye contact with Stefan and shook his head. _

_Stefan wasn't sure why he didn't want to be helped until the man signaled over his shoulder to the back seat. _

_And it was then, as he swam toward the back passenger door and looked through the glass, that Stefan saw her….the beautiful, dark haired teenager._

_He was startled at first. She looked so much like Katherine…it was surreal. But, he quickly reminded himself that Katherine was dead and, after a few moments, reality set in and he pulled the back passenger door off and reached inside, swiftly ripping the seatbelt off of the girl and pulling her to his chest._

_After sliding back through the passenger door, Stefan immediately swam to the driver's side window…_

_Sadly, just in time to see the last air bubbles leave Grayson Gilbert's noise, his eyes fixed on his daughter safely in Stefan's arms, then dilating. His last conscious act was to reach out and take his wife's hand where it rested on the arm rest between them._

_Stefan opened his eyes as silence now filled the church and he realized that the last speaker, a man the minister had introduced as John Gilbert, Grayson's brother, had finished. Stefan watched as the blonde, middle aged man, folded up his speech and placed it inside his suit jacket as he stepped down off the stage. _

"_And now," the minister said, returning to his place behind the microphone, "In memory of the Gilberts, Miss Caroline Forbes will give her rendition of 'How Great Thou Art'." _

_The minister then nodded toward someone in the audience and Stefan straightened as he watched a tall, blonde, dressed in a black velvet mini dress and high heels slide out of one of the front pews and walk down the aisle toward the stage, the minister offering her his hand up the side steps. _

_She wiped under her eyes as she walked up to the microphone stand, casting a sideways glance to the young man in a black shirt and red tie who came to stand next to her, bringing the strap of his electric guitar over his head as he plugged in his amp. He then looked over his shoulder to the respective adults now taking their positions at the piano, the drums and the steel guitar behind them. _

_When they were ready, the young man pulled his guitar pick out of his pocket and nodded to Caroline and she stepped closer to the microphone as they started playing opening melody of the hymn. _

_She closed her eyes and sang in a sweet, low melodic voice that took Stefan's breath away. _

"_**O Lord, my God…**_

_**When I, in awesome wonder, consider all…**_

_**The worlds thy hands have made." **_

_Then she opened her eyes and took hold of the microphone with one hand, smiling softly, but sadly_

"_**I see the stars…**_

_**I hear the rolling thunder…**_

_**Thy power throughout the universe, displayed." **_

_She cast a glance down at the coffins in front of the stage below her, before closing her eyes again, bringing her hand over her heart. _

"_**Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee…**_

_**How great Thou art…**_

_**How great Thou art!**_

_**Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee…**_

_**How great Thou art…**_

_**How great Thou art!" **_

_Stefan gasped, watching her take a step away from the microphone as the steel guitarist and the electric guitarist started playing a melodic, weaving interlude._

_ He smirked, the song instantly bringing back warm memories of his brother, Damon, two hundred years before and how he would always lead the church choir in the song every Sunday…in the very same church they were now standing in. _

_Damon didn't really like going to church—Hell, he wasn't much of a choir boy either—but he kept going well into his twenties, long after Father had stopped. Stefan knew that he mostly went out of respect for their Mother who had died when Stefan was born. She had been a deeply religious woman and 'How Great Thou Art' had been one of her favorite songs. It was also one of the first Damon had learned to play on the piano and he had taught it to Stefan during their fishing trips to the quarry as boys. Damon always said the hymn would calm the fish and make them bite. _

_Stefan was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as a projection screen above the stage now lowered and pictures of Miranda and Grayson Gilbert with their family and friends now flashed on the screen as the guitarist's solo came to an end and Caroline stepped toward the microphone again and sang, her voice rising methodically_

"_**When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home…**_

_**What joy shall fill my heart!**_

_**Then I shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim…" **_

_She looked out into the crowd as took the microphone off the stand and into her hands, her voice crying out in perfect diva pitch._

"'_**My God, how great Thou art!'"  
**_

_Stefan heart suddenly swelled with the music as he heard her angelic voice rise again to sing the refrain, _

"_**Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee…**_

_**How great Thou art…**_

_**How great Thou art!" **_

_Suddenly, John Gilbert respectfully stood in his pew, followed immediately by the minister, Mayor and Mrs. Lockwood and the other town council members. And soon the entire audience followed as Caroline as continued, _

"_**Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee…**_

_**How great Thou art…**_

_**How great Thou art…" **_

_Then she smiled as she looked quickly over her shoulder to a group picture from about ten years earlier of all of all the neighboring families at one of the Founders Day Picnics. _

"_**How great Thou art…"**_

_The adults were all in their late twenties and early thirties, and their young children—including Matt, Elena, Jeremy, Vicki, Bonnie and Caroline—were lined up in front of them, sitting Indian style. _

_As the picture changed to the final one—a more recent portrait of Grayson and Miranda together outside their home—Caroline turned back to the front of the stage, tears now streaming down her face._

_But to her credit, she kept her voice in check as she took a deep breath and delivered the last verse in a long note. _

# # # # # # #

Caroline closed her eyes as she squeezed Stefan's still and cold hand as she sang the end like the diva she was,

"_**How great….thou….art!"**_

After a few moments, when she had finally let go of the last note, a short silence fell before it was interrupted by a burst of applause.

Caroline thought it was her imagination for a moment, until she quickly turned to look over her shoulder and saw Misha, Kaspar, Kol, Damon, Rebekah and Klaus all standing there in the bedroom doorway, clapping.

She suddenly realized that she had sung loud enough for the whole house to hear her.

"We got ourselves a Carrie Underwood in the house!" Misha shouted over the commotion, then turned to Klaus, "No offense Nik, but she sings _way_ better than you do!"

The hybrid chuckled at this, stopping his applause momentarily to wipe away the tears under his eyes.

Caroline stood up from her chair, covering her face in mild embarrassment before Damon stepped forward and crossed the room, pulling her into a tight, appreciative embrace.

"Way better use of down time than Parcheesi if you ask me," Kaspar quipped as they all continued to clap and Misha, Kol, Rebekah and Klaus burst out laughing.


	26. Chapter 26

_**((HOLY COW! I don't know WHERE this chapter came from! It sort of just wrote itself. The feelings are all over the place on this one. I'm sorry. I couldn't control it. I'll try to be a little calmer next chapter. Until then, just enjoy and take a Xanax when you're done and if you can find the words, tell me what you think.))**_

Bonnie sighed as she closed the hall closet door and turned on her heel, tossing her hair behind her ears as she climbed the main staircase to the second floor of the Gilbert house.

"Jeremy?" she called as she reached the top landing, wrapping her sweater tighter around herself with one hand, while rubbing the back of her neck with the other, closing her eyes wearily.

"I'm in here!" Jeremy called back and Bonnie opened her eyes, recognizing the direction the voice was coming from.

Lowering her hand, she walked down the hallway toward Elena's bedroom and opened the half-closed door, stepping through the threshold.

"Well, the family history stuff in the hall closet was a dead end. Elena didn't put the journals back in there …" Bonnie started, then stopped, her eyes widening as she suddenly beheld the sight of Elena's disheveled room and Jeremy standing at the center of it, "_Holy._.."

"Uh…yeah…I guess I got a little carried away," Jeremy lamented, running a hand through his hair as he turned toward her, then turned in a circle as his eyes still scanned the room, "I've been trying to get into the mind of a teenage girl—"

"And where she would hide something_ several_ people have tried to find before?" Bonnie finished with a raised eyebrow

"And I've come to the conclusion that because of what you_ just said_, she's become _really_ good at hiding things," Jeremy said with a defeated sigh, taking a seat on the end of Elena's bed as Bonnie smirked and came to his side, taking a seat next to him.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Jeremy turned on his side and Bonnie watched him pull his cell phone out of his jean pocket.

"I think it's time to throw in the towel and call Elena-" he started

"_No!_" Bonnie interjected sternly, quickly snatching the phone from Jeremy's hand and holding it across her body and out of his reach, "Caroline made it very clear we that were _not_ to call Elena. And she wouldn't ask us to do that unless the situation was _serious._ We should trust her."

"Well, we've looked _everywhere_ I can think of, Bonnie," Jeremy replied, exasperated, "The attic, the cellar, the closet, my parent's safe, my room, _her_ room…and we've got _nada_…_zilch_. Let's face it, if we really want to find the journals and help the others, we _need_ to call Elena."

"_Or_ maybe there is someone else who can help," Bonnie said in a low voice, narrowing her eyes in thought before absentmindedly handing Jeremy back his phone and standing up.

"_Who_?" Jeremy asked in a confused tone, following Bonnie with his eyes as she moved to the center of the room

"Those journals have had _hundreds _of people touch them over the centuries, surely someone's essence is still tied to them. _Maybe_, just _maybe._.. if we are lucky, I can channel a spirit and they can help lead us to the journals," Bonnie said, closing her eyes in concentration and rubbing her hands together to spark her magical energies

"I don't know if this is such a good idea, Bonnie," Jeremy interjected in a weary voice, "After your encounter with Esther, you're still weak—"

Suddenly, there was a pulsing sensation that practically shook the house and Jeremy quickly jumped up from where he sat on the bed, regaining his footing as he looked around the room, his eyes instantly widening in awe as he took in Elena's room now immaculately clean as if he had never rummaged around in it.

"Okay…." He mused with a small smile, "Maybe not."

Jeremy quickly moved to Bonnie's side, her eyes still closed as she now raised her hands, palms forward, and began whispering an incantation.

After a few moments, Bonnie fell quiet and lowered her hands as Jeremy quickly scanned the room, looking for any evidence that the spell had done what it was supposed to.

"I—I don't think it worked…" Jeremy said softly, now looking down to Bonnie as the witch slowly opened her eyes, then took in a staggered breath and stepped back in shock.

"No…" she whispered, her eyes suddenly filling with a mixture of tears and stunned awe, "It _did_. But—it's—well, it's just _not_ who I was expecting..."

Jeremy followed Bonnie's gaze quickly to the area near Elena's bedroom window seat.

"But, I don't see _anyone_," Jeremy said, his eyes still searching as he wrapped a protective arm around the witch's shoulders, "And I'm usually the guy that can see dead people around here."

"Believe me. He's here…" Bonnie whispered, wiping her eyes, her voice trembling as she now stepped forward out of Jeremy's grasp and looked through the veil at what she suddenly realized only _she_ could see…

It was the apparition of Stefan Salvatore, dressed in a gray t-shirt and black dress pants, standing a few feet in front of Elena's window seat. He was studying her with a soft gaze and a sad smile before his eyes darted quickly to the floorboards beneath his feet.

Still stunned, her mind racing with a thousand questions as to how Stefan could have crossed over without them knowing about it, Bonnie quickly focused her energies and nodded appreciatively toward the vampire, before turning back to Jeremy and the task at hand.

"And he knows where the journals are."

# # # # # #

"Ah!" Elena cried out as she hit the trunk of one of the cedar trees head on at vampire speed and fell backwards, somersaulting a few yards before finding herself up on her feet in seconds, with the aide of her new reflexes.

She took in a deep breath and moaned, rolling her sore neck and shoulders as she brought her hand up to fix her disheveled hair, wincing when her fingers brushed a fresh bruise on the side of her forehead.

After all those years of playing video games with Jeremy, she would have thought that dodging trees as she practiced honing her vampire speed and agility in a wooded area would be no problem…well, _epic fail_.

Soon, there was a swift breeze and Elijah appeared in front of her.

"Are you _alright?_" he asked, his dark eyes filled with concern as he stepped forward and took the side of her face gently in his hand, igniting the spark between their skin as he studied her face.

She held his gaze for a few moments, lost in the feeling, before his hand brushed over the bruise and she quickly pulled her head out of his grasp, hissing at the pain.

"Yeah…" she said, closing her eyes with a small smirk, shaking her head at her clumsiness, "It was an accident, I just—"

"You just didn't check your rear and side vampire mirrors and smacked into a _gigantic_ cedar tree," he finished, chuckling as he looked over his shoulder at the tree in question.

"Ha…_Ha_…" Elena deadpanned, immediately opening her eyes and focusing on the original as Elijah turned back to face her

"_Hey,_" he chided with a smile, raising his hands defensively, "I'm not the one who wanted to continue your 'vampire lessons' in an effort to keep our minds off the drama unfolding in Mystic Falls...which is clearly _not _working, by the way."

Elena scoffed, rubbing her forehead, "Elijah, it's _nothing. _Now lets get back to—"

"Elena, I have a two hundred year old tree standing behind me that just lost all of its bark in an altercation with a vampire that begs to differ…" Elijah interjected, then pointed toward her head, "and you're hurt…it's _not '_nothing'. You don't have the focus _or _the concentration to do this right now. This was a bad idea. We should get you back to the house and—"

"_And what_? Brood? Eat more pie? Stare at each other?" Elena scoffed, now taking in a shallow breaths, her eyes suddenly veining out, her senses going crazy as she immediately felt herself turning into a mad woman, "Stefan and Damon _haven't_ returned my calls since this morning, we haven't heard from Katherine _or_ your siblings and for all we know, they could all be _dead_! The Salvatore Mansion could be one big vampire _tomb!_"

Elena felt herself reeling...

What was happening? Was it worry? Frustration? Maybe. Maybe not. But, soon she felt waves of disorientation and confusion wash over her and something close by smelled like blood…but, not just _any_ blood...like the most delicious blood she could possibly put in her mouth.

"Elena…" Elijah said sternly, immediately stepping forward and taking hold of her face, resting his forehead against hers to calm her and whispering in a soothing voice, "You're letting your emotions control you…Breathe…Just _breathe_…"

"I can't..." Elena choked, pulling back out of reflex, but Elijah held her firmly in his grasp, "What's happening?"

"Yes, you _can_…" Elijah encouraged

"No. I _can't_!" Elena said, finally, casting her eyes toward his right hand resting on her jaw, suddenly realizing where the blood smell was coming from, "Because you're hurt too and I can smell the blood…that's what's making me act...oh_, God_…"

"Have you fed today?" Elijah asked suddenly, confused as he pulled back to face her, then following her gaze to the back side of his palm, realized that he must have grazed one of the trees and cut himself during their run.

Elena didn't answer. She just closed her eyes and concentrated on fighting back the urge to drink from him as she continued to struggle in his grasp.

"Elena," Elijah said, trying to bring her focus to him, but failing as she kept pulling against him, "_Elena_!"

Elena took in a deep breath, letting out a small animalistic growl as her eyes opened and she finally forced herself to look at him, the veins beneath them appearing and disappearing as she fought her hunger, trying actively not to look at the inside of his hand.

"Just drink from me…" Elijah said in a resolute voice, loosening his grip as he pulled his injured hand from the side of her face and held it out toward her, "If it will make you feel better..._drink_."

"_What_?" Elena whimpered, confused, her lip trembling as her eyes darted from his hand to his face, "Can—can I _do_ that? I mean, can vampires drink from other vampires?"

"Technically, it's not always… _ideal,_" Elijah said in a nervous tone with a raised eyebrow, unsure in his own mind of what could transpire between them if she _did_ feed from him and how it might change their already complicated relationship, "But if it's what you _need_, then do it. But, it's _your_ decision."

"What will happen if _do_?" she whispered, her eyes meeting his steadily, "Because I really, _really _want to…" then looked back to his hand, swallowing back the burning in her throat and fighting the surge of feelings now rushing through her body as she took in small gasps, " When I smelled it, something inside me just clicked...I don't know what happened...it's not like wanting to feed from humans…the hunger…it feels… _different..." _Elijah's breath hitched as Elena tore her eyes from his now healing hand and met his gaze again, "every _inch_ of my body wants it…so much it _hurts_."

"Then make… it… stop…" Elijah said softly, calling her bluff and keeping his eyes locked with hers as he brought his offered hand back up to his face, willing his vampire features forward and biting into his wrist.

"Elijah…" Elena whispered with uncertainty in her voice, her eyes dilating as she watched his features fade as he now offered her his bleeding wrist

"If you _don't_ want it," Elijah said, his voice genuine, but still holding out his wrist, "then listen my voice, use your touchstone, calm down and we'll go home."

"I…" Elena started, then closed her eyes in pain, the veins underneath them not willing themselves away

"Elena?" Elijah asked, moving closing, pulling back his wrist as he moved forward to comfort her

"I'm really starting to think that it's not _that_ kind of hunger, Elijah..." Elena whispered absentmindedly, opening her eyes, " And I don't need a touchstone... I just need _you_."

Then, before Elijah could react, Elena moved with vampire speed, closing the distance between them and pulling Elijah's wrist to her mouth with both hands, hungrily biting into it and taking in mouthfuls of his blood.

Elijah nearly lost his balance, but quickly recovered as a moan escaped the back of Elena's throat and she moved closer and enfolded herself in his arms, her head falling against his chest.

Out of reflex, he cradled her head as she fed, still latched like a vice onto his arm.

Elijah's mind instantly raced, telling him that what they were doing was _wrong_...

That Elena didn't know what she was doing...

That he would be taking advantage of her...

Then, suddenly, he felt a succession of electric jolts through his body—not painful jolts—_pleasurable_ ones…like their connection magnified by a thousand.

"Elena…" he groaned as his eyes rolled back into his head and she moaned in reply, leaning closer into his body.

And as she kept drinking, the fire grew, spreading from Elijah's head to the tips of his toes, igniting pure, undiluted passion and need—two things he hadn't felt in a _very_ long time.

Not since he was human and Liliya was alive and they had...

Elena suddenly let out another moan and Elijah willed his eyes to open as he gasped, looking down to her as he stroked her hair lovingly, quickly finding his heart ruling over his head as he found himself silently wishing that she would _never_ let go of his wrist.

Hell, if it were up to his heart and his body at that moment, she could drain him dry and he wouldn't complain.

Minutes later, Elena growled, and still holding his wrist to her mouth with one hand, brought her free hand to his chest and pushed him, with vampire speed, hard up against the cedar tree she had run into earlier.

The pain of hitting the tree combined with Elena drinking from him made Elijah moan in ecstasy and, though he was older and stronger, he didn't even think about fighting her for dominance as she pinned him there.

After a few more moments of sheer bliss, Elijah's nerve endings were burning to the quick, his breath shortening to gasps.

Always the generous lover, he didn't want to be a spoil sport and take all the pleasure for himself.

So he waited...

And when Elena, in the throws of her own pleasure, suddenly gave a guttural moan and, having finally drank her fill, reluctantly released her hold on his shirt and pulled back slowly from his wrist, Elijah used the space between them as leverage to reverse their places, pushing her hard up against the tree on her back.

Suddenly, back to his senses, reason reared it's ugly head, again.

Could he _really_ do this?

What was he saying? They _were_ doing this...

Correction-they_ are_ doing this...

And Elena certainly didn't look like the unwilling victim...

She gave a small smile through half-open eyelids, still drunk from her feeding as Elijah studied her face, taking her in.

It was as if they communicated silently, both instantly knowing what the other needed, before Elena nodded quickly and braced herself against the tree with one hand while she shrugged her other side out of her jean jacket and revealed the left side of her bare neck to Elijah.

"Do it," she whispered in a wanton voice, "Please…"

At her words, Elijah's gaze softened, his heart and body taking control once more as his eyes roamed over what she offered him for just a moment, before he willed his vampire features forward and leaned in, slowly sinking his fangs into the olive skin above her jugular.

All Elena could do was give a passionate moan and hang onto his shoulders for dear life as he drank, sending her to new heights.


	27. Chapter 27

_**((Well, gotta say that I still don't feel like this was my best writing, but... Oh, well. There is always next chapter:) Long week with a lot going on and I just wanted to get something out for my devoted readers before the holiday weekend. More updates coming soon.))**_

"You've _got_ to be kidding me..." Jeremy mused, sitting back in astonishment as he held up three of Elena's floorboards, where Bonnie said Stefan had been standing, and the witch pulled a stack of leather-bound journals from the space below.

"So, did Caroline fill you in on what's going on when she called?" Stefan inquired, folding his arms across his chest as he watched them

"Just the 'cliff notes' version," Bonnie sighed, as she looked over her shoulder at the younger Salvatore brother, "Rogue vampire hunter on the loose…five vampires and two warlocks trapped in your house… that they need us to find the Gilbert journals because they might hold the key to stopping said hunter and to, under no circumstances, contact Elena, who I've recently discovered has left town with Elijah, and I'm guessing has _no idea_ that you're …"

She suddenly trailed off, her face falling in sadness

"It's okay, Bonnie," Stefan finished, giving her a reassuring smile, "You can say it… I'm _dead._"

"Yeah…How did that happen by the way?" Jeremy asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion as he lowered the floorboards

"Our new friend the 'rogue vampire hunter'," Stefan replied, his voice inflected with sadness and anger, "As it turns out, my death was the bait for the trap he set...the one that everyone is now caught in."

"I'm _so_ sorry…" Bonnie whispered, a tear falling down her cheek involuntarily

"No 'sorry' is necessary, Bonnie," Stefan replied, "Just find something in those journals that can save my brother and the others, so I can rest easy on the other side."

"Oh, my God! _Stefan_—" Bonnie suddenly gasped, noticing that the spell was ending and that the vampire's apparition was slowly fading

"Looks like I don't have much time…" Stefan smirked sadly as he looked down to his quickly disappearing body, then back up to the witch

"What's wrong? What's happening to him?" Jeremy suddenly asked

"He's leaving…the spirits are calling him back," Bonnie answered, her eyes panicked, unsure what she should do as her eyes moved back to Stefan, "The spell was only temporary…I –I can't do anything to stop it_—"_

"Listen to me, Bonnie…" Stefan interjected, bringing his gaze to hers once more, his green eyes softening in reassurance, "This is how it _should_ be_. _I don't belong here…not anymore_. _Just tell Elena that I'm alright and that I found Lexi on the other side," he smiled as his feet and legs slowly disappeared, "And tell Damon that I love him…" he continued, his voice breaking with emotion, as his torso vanished soon after, "Tell him that I have _never _forgotten my very first memory of him—standing over me in my baby bed and giving me his hand—and that, even in death, I've _still_ got quite a grip and I'm never letting go…I'm with him always—"

"Stefan!" Bonnie cried as she watched the rest of the vampire quickly evaporate into thin air

# # # # # # #

Elijah took in a staggered breath, quickly raising his face from where it had been resting in his hands when he heard familiar footsteps on the stairway. He immediately stood from the chair he had been sitting in the downstairs hallway and moved with vampire speed to foot of the stairs, meeting Vivienne as she reached the bottom landing.

"Please tell me she's alright…" he whispered in a trembling voice, his dark eyes worried as they searched the witch's

"She's alright," Vivienne nodded with a sympathetic smile, sensing his immediate need for reassurance

"Oh, thank you…" Elijah whispered in quiet benediction as he closed his eyes in relief and turned away from her, leaning on the wall for support as he tried to quell his emotions, "I thought—I thought I…"

"You almost _did_," Vivienne added in her thick French accent as she stepped down from the landing and put a hand on his shoulder, turning him toward her, "She's got a good chunk taken out of her neck and has lost _a lot_ of blood, Elijah, not to mention that she's still in a state of shock from when your connection broke and she passed out… all in all, I'd say she's lucky—"

"_I know.._." Elijah lamented, closing his eyes

"I have to ask…" Vivienne said in disbelief, "What possessed you to do something so _reckless?_—"

"I don't know," Elijah sighed, his voice breaking as he opened his eyes again and leaned his head back on the wall, "We were in the woods and she—she just suddenly lost it and became emotional and hungry. I tried to get her to use her touchstone, control her hunger and go back to the house, but she said something about how it was a different kind of hunger and then she took my wrist—"

"So you let her _feed _from you? That's how this started? " Vivienne asked, confused

"Honestly, I just did it to call her bluff," Elijah confessed, "and make her snap out of her emotions and find clarity, but she… "

"She called your bluff instead?" Vivienne mused with an arched eyebrow

"You could say that…" Elijah sighed again, his tone turning to self-inflicting anger, "I _let_ her do it and when she—when she looked at me afterward, I couldn't control my self—my emotions…they got the better of me."

"And that's when you fed from _her_…" Vivienne finished

Elijah nodded, grimacing

Vivienne brought her hand to his shoulder reassuringly, "Elijah, you couldn't have known that this would happen—"

"No, but I _should_ have…" Elijah said softly, shaking his head as he pulled out of her grasp and walked over to sit on the staircase, "I should have known that I wouldn't be able to stop—"

"Well, since the beginning, vampire blood sharing has _always_ been tricky business, Elijah..." Vivienne interjected then walked over to him and held out her hand to the original, who gave a small smirk before taking it and helping her elderly frame sit down on the stair next to him.

"Emotions run high and that is what makes it both wonderful and dangerous all at the same time," she continued "But, again, I have to say, that I'm surprised you would be so reckless—so _impulsive_. You are the last person I _ever_ expected to have their human emotions control them in a situation like that—that's usually Rebekah or Niklaus, not you. You are always _so_ rational—always listening to your head over your heart."

"I know...I know... it's just—I'm—I'm weak when it comes to her, Vivienne, I always have been…" Elijah replied, turning his head toward the witch as she rested her chin on his shoulder and studied him, "For centuries, I tried to control my emotions or at least, keep them in check. And then, I meet Elena and it all went out the window! Nowadays, my head and my heart fight for top billing."

"You're in love with her," Vivienne suddenly realized, smiling at him with a raised eyebrow, lifting her chin from his shoulder

There was a moments pause before the original responded.

"_Yes_," Elijah admitted, sighing as he closed his eyes and leaned back onto the stairs, bringing his hand to his forehead "_Completely_ and_ hopelessly_ in love with her…so in love with her, in fact, that I let her feed from me and then I fed from her and almost _killed_ her!"

"But you _didn't,_" Vivienne said, laying back on the stairs next to him and turning to face him again, rubbing his shoulder, "Don't be so hard on yourself. It could have happened to anyone…_trust me_. And what vampire _wouldn't_ want to feed from you? You are an attractive, single man… with _flawless_ hair, I might add..."

Elijah gave an uncertain chuckle, "Uh…Thanks for that…I guess…"

"Well it's_ true_." Vivienne added, "And I will also say that I had wondered from the beginning what was going on between the two of you. Then, when I did a few incantations over her to accelerate her healing, I sensed it...your connection, I mean, and…Ouf! I have to say, it's quite _something_."

"You could say that again…" Elijah sighed, turning toward her

"So you've felt it?" Vivienne inquired

"Oh…_yeah_…" Elijah said, remembering the feeling every time their skin touched, "And it's only gotten worse since she's turned. Look at what happened today."

"You know, the servants of nature have always been aware of the existence of soul mates, Elijah. But, I've never seen it manifested so strongly," Vivienne smirked, "And if you love her and she loves you—"

"I don't know _how_ she feels…" Elijah said softly

"She's never said anything to you?"

Elijah shook his head

"Well, I think she'll tell you...and sooner than you think," Vivienne winked

"How do you know?" Elijah suddenly asked, lifting himself up onto his elbows on the staircase

"Because, I can tell you right now—that girl lost a lot of blood and that girl nearly died and is still in shock, but you did _not_, and I repeat, did _not_, cause that girl _an ounce _of pain...it was all pleasure."

Elijah huffed

"And she would _never_ have found your blood so appealing if she didn't already feel _something_ for you..." Vivienne pointed out and Elijah turned his head away

"Alright, Captain Pessimism," Vivienne said, patting Elijah's knee with one hand before grabbing hold of the stair railing with the other to lift herself up, "Get up and come with me. I've got something that's going to make you feel a whole lot better about this whole situation."

"Pie?" Elijah asked a little too hopeful, sitting up and following her lead

"No. Better than pie… and just as sweet."

# # # # # #

"'Better hurry or you'll miss that plane'," Klaus said in perfect sync with Humphrey Bogart's voice, then sighed, "Now _this_ is the epitome of a classic movie scene," he pointed out as he pulled his eyes from the last scene of 'Casablanca' playing on the big screen TV in the Salvatore's living room and turned to Caroline on the couch next to him, only to smile when he saw that she had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder, "And I'm talking to myself…"

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Misha announced, walking into the room as the credits rolled onto the screen, "Having some—"

But Klaus immediately interrupted, turning to Misha and putting up a hand to silence him with a wink before pointing over to the slumbering female vampire on his shoulder.

Misha smirked before looking over to the screen as the movie returned to the title menu.

"She fell asleep during 'Casablanca'?" he scoffed with a chuckle when he realized what they had been watching, "It should be illegal to fall asleep during 'Casablanca'."

"Agreed," Klaus nodded, then handed the half-bowl of popcorn of his lap up to the warlock, "Popcorn?"

"Sure," warlock smiled, taking the bowl into his hands and scooping up a handful

"What are the others up to?" the original asked, then kissed Caroline's forehead before pulling himself gently out from under her and laying her head on the pillow behind him.

"Kaspar is teaching Kol and Rebekah how to play 'Candy Land'..." Misha offered, then watched Klaus suddenly turn from where he was now standing and look at him with an amused look, his jaw dropping in a mixture of awe and surprise.

"Don't worry, I took a picture with my phone for posterity!" Misha laughed as he tossed another handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"I appreciate that," Klaus smiled as he walked over to the DVD player on top of television, ejecting the movie disc, "It's nice to capture one-of-a-kind family moments like that. And where's Damon?"

"Upstairs in his room. He said he wanted to be alone," Misha said softly,

Then after a moment's pause continued, "So what movie are we going to watch next? Because I'm sure as hell not going back in_ there! _I don't really fancy being another candy cane in Candy Land."

"Well," Klaus said as he closed the DVD case and walked over to the Salvatore brothers' collection resting on two shelves of the book case built into the wall, "I was thinking perhaps… "

Misha laughed as Klaus made a drum roll sound with his tongue, then dramatically turned to face the warlock with his choice in hand.

"The Philadelphia Story," he smirked, raising an eyebrow

"Yes!" Misha cheered quietly then set the popcorn bowl down on the coffee table, "Another classic! Just let me use the little cowboy's room and grab a beer while you're setting it up."

"Could you bring me some blood, too?" Klaus asked over his shoulder as he opened the DVD case and walked back to the television, "I'm feeling a bit peckish."

"Sure," Misha responded

Suddenly, a song started playing in the room, resonating loudly.

"What the hell?" Misha mused with a smirk when he realized that it was Bon Jovi's 'Wanted'

"Caroline," Klaus realized immediately, chuckling as he closed the DVD tray and walked over to the sleeping vampire on the couch, who continued to sleep soundly as her phone vibrated in her back jean pocket.

She mumbled and turned her head slightly when Klaus reached gently inside her pants and pulled out her Nokia Lumia.

Then his eyes suddenly widened as he held the phone up for Misha to see the caller ID screen and mouthed, 'It's Bonnie.'

Misha nodded, stepped forward, and silently motioned for Klaus to hand him the phone. Then the two exchanged a knowing look that told the original to pick up his pile of coins from where they sat on the coffee table.

When Klaus had started letting the coins fall back and forth through his hands, creating interference to block Dominic's hearing, Misha finally hit the 'answer' button.

"Bonnie, it's Misha," he said in a direct tone

"Uh…Hi…" the witch answered in a confused voice, "Where is Caroline?"

"She's fine," Misha replied, "She just fell asleep. What's up?"

"Well, we've got the Gilbert journals," Bonnie announced

Misha closed his eyes in relief, then opened them quickly and focused them on Klaus, giving him a thumbs up with his free hand.

"That's great, Bonnie. We appreciate your help," Misha said as he slowly lowered his hand

"Sure," Bonnie responded, "You guys still doing okay?"

"As well as can be expected," Misha observed, "No one's gone too crazy with cabin fever…well..._yet."_

"Good," Bonnie said, "So, I guess we'll pack up the journals and get over there as soon as we can—"

"You _cannot,_ under _any_ circumstances, bring the journals over here…it's too dangerous," Misha suddenly interjected, " _In fact_, you and Jeremy should probably leave the Gilbert House as soon as we hang up and get to a safe location—do not even tell_ us_ where it is—and stay there. Dominic cannot know you've found the journals."

"Okaaaay…" Bonnie said, her voice inflected with confusion

"Look, I'm not sure _what_ his next move will be or how much time we'll have," Misha replied honestly, "And since those journals may be our only leverage to defeat him, we need to keep the fact that we have them on the down low. So, you and Jeremy just need to get to a safe location, read through the journals and call us back and let us know what you find—"

"Uh…that could take _a while_," Jeremy interjected, and Misha realized that Bonnie had put him on speaker phone, "I've read most of the journals, but it looks like there are some new ones here that I haven't seen before."

"Well, just skim them if you have to," Misha replied

"And what exactly are we looking for?" Bonnie asked, "You and Caroline have both mentioned that these journals could be the key to stopping the vampire hunter… but how?"

"It seems that in addition to exacting revenge on Elijah and destroying the original family to restore the balance of nature as was intended a thousand years ago, Dominic may also be looking for a way to be human again and to do that, he wants to regains his soul, but he needs to find it first and thinks it may be here in Mystic Falls. So, I would cross reference anything in the journals that have to do with vampire hunters, tattoos or souls…oh, and Kaspar thinks that all of this might have something to do with Johnathan Gilbert's inventions, but I'm not sure how—"

"Oh, _my God_…the inventions...the soul...that's _it!_" Bonnie whispered in suddenly realization

"What is _it_?" Misha asked in a worried tone

"I—I recently had a vision in my sleep," Bonnie started rambling, "Emily Bennett, my ancestor—_our_ ancestor—well, technically _my _ancestor and your—well, I don't know what she would be to you…But that's beside the point! The point _is _that when she came to me, she said 'The heart of the invention is the _soul_'. Then Johnathan Gilbert appeared with one of his inventions in hand…his watch…"

"Of course!" Jeremy Gilbert suddenly exclaimed "I've read most of Johnathan Gilbert's earlier journals. They are full of ramblings about the vampire threat and day-to-day life in Mystic Falls, but they were also full of drawings, formulas and stories about his inventions and how they worked—"

"But, that's just it," Misha interjected, "_None_ of them worked—"

"Actually, they _did_…" Jeremy added, "If I remember right, back in 1864, Johnathan Gilbert wrote that he used his pocket watch—which he had converted to a vampire compass— to help the town council round up the vampires in Mystic Falls. The vampires were immobilized, captured and then burned in Fell's Church."

"I had no idea…" Misha whispered, surprised, "Katerina had discovered who I was and I had left Mystic Falls by then—"

"But, there was a _reason_ that they worked…" Jeremy emphasized

"Emily _spelled_ them," Bonnie suddenly added, "Both the Gilbert device _and_ the compass...She did it to protect her family from the vampires and keep the town council from exposing her as a witch. It sounds _crazy,_ I know and a little far- fetched…and I'm just _throwing it out there_…but 'the heart of the invention is the soul' sounds pretty ominous. What if by some weird chance, Dominic's soul had something to do with Emily's spells and how the inventions worked? "

"It _doesn't_ sound crazy," Jeremy defended, "When Johnathan Gilbert wrote about showing his inventions to the Founding families, he said that they had thought the devices moved like they were possessed by some other worldly spirit—"

"Bonnie," Misha suddenly said, his tone turning breathless, "When you saw Johnathan Gilbert in the dream, did he say or do anything with the watch?"

"Uh…he just stood there with it in his hands and watched the compass point toward Jeremy, then his voice changed and his eyes darkened and he said something about how 'One must die, so that I may live'? Do you know what that means?"

"Bonnie…" Misha said softly, his mind immediately racing, "You know that every witch has a grimoire…I'm having a thought here and to confirm it, I think you need to find Emily's—"

"It's at my house, actually…" Bonnie replied quickly, "We can head there now."

"Perfect. When you get your hands on it, look specifically for spells relating to object possession and if you find any, call me back right away."

"Will do," Bonnie replied

"And Jeremy?" Misha asked

"Yo…" Jeremy announced himself

"When you look through the new journals, see if you can find out what happened to Johnathan Gilbert's inventions through the centuries and where they might be now."

"That's _easy_," Jeremy immediately replied, "They were kept in the family. The watch, in particular, was handed down. But, if you want to know where it is, I think Elena was the last to have it."

Misha's eyes widened as he shared a look with Klaus

"Well, that's an interesting turn of events…" Misha mused

# # # # # #

"I _can't _go in there…" Elijah whispered as he gently grabbed Vivienne's hand before she could turn the doorknob on Elena's bedroom door, "I'm not prepared…physically, emotionally, _existentially_—"

"She been asking for you," Vivienne stated with a small smile and watched as Elijah's face turned to awe as he straightened and pulled away his hand

"_What?"_

"Since she woke up…she's been asking for you. She wants to see you-talk to you. So suck it up, boy! _You_ are _going in there_," Vivienne said, then turned the doorknob and quietly opened the door, before nudging Elijah inside.

# # # # # #

Elena whimpered as she turned her head under the covers.

She felt extremely tired and her neck was sore, but otherwise, she felt…

Good. _Really_ good.

Her only wish was that she knew how Elijah felt about the whole situation.

It had happened so fast and it was _so amazing_—liberating and free—and the pleasure…

_God.._.

Elena's nerve ending started to tingle just remembering it.

"Elena…" she heard a familiar voice suddenly whisper and her eyes forced themselves open to see Elijah, dressed in a white t-shirt and dress pants, take a seat on the edge of the bed next to her.

Elena swallowed nervously just having him in such close proximity.

And it wasn't out of fear—even after what Vivienne told her had happened—it was out of…

_Lust_?

Elena could still taste his blood in the back of her throat. It had been like heaven, feeling his arm bracing around her, holding her close to his body as she drank from him.

It made her feel safe and warm and needed.

"How are you feeling?" Elijah asked, breaking her out of her thoughts, his eyes worried as they studied her anxiously

"I feel fine. A little tired, but otherwise... just fine," Elena smiled, adjusting herself on her pillows unsuccessfully

"Here," Elijah said, leaning forward, gently placing one hand behind her neck and lifting her against his chest as he adjusted the stack of pillows behind her head, then helped her lay back.

Elena closed her eyes in pleasure as she drunk in the scent from his shirt and felt the connection hum between their skin, the fact that it was even still there after what they had been through, reassuring.

And by the mixture of emotions on Elijah's face as he pulled back, she could tell that he still felt it too.

"Thanks," Elena smirked, opening her eyes and focusing them on the original

They sat in silence for a few moments before Elijah reached forward and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and tucked it gently behind her ear.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, the guilt immediately flooding his face, "I'm _so sorry_—"

"Elijah, it's _alright_—" Elena started, capturing his hand in hers as he pulled it back, trying to sooth him

"But, I could have killed you," Elijah said softly, now studying his hand in hers, unable to look her in the eyes, "I should have _never_ let things get so out of hand."

"Elijah, you didn't do anything wrong. If anyone is to blame for this it's me," Elena sighed, "I lost control and practically forced myself on you out there in the woods-"

"Well, I'm the one who should be_ teaching_ you control—" Elijah lamented

"And you _have_," Elena commended, "But sometimes there are some things—some emotions— you _can't_ control, Elijah."

"Every emotion can be controlled, Elena," Elijah replied, still unable to look at her, "it just takes time and discipline—"

"Can I ask you something?" Elena suddenly interjected

And there was a moment's pause as Elijah suddenly raised his eyes to meet hers, responding with the one word he always gives her upon such a request

"Anything," he whispered

Elena smiled, then took a deep breath before she asked her question

"Can you control your feelings for me?"

Elijah stared at her in stunned surprise for a moment, opening his mouth to speak, but found that he couldn't make the words come out.

Finally, with Elena's soft, inquiring gaze still on him, waiting for his answer, he just closed his eyes and shook his head with a sad smile.

Elena furrowed her eyebrows in concentration for a moment then took in a shaky breath before sitting up further on her pillows and nodding her head resolutely.

"Good. Then, it seems that we are on the same page…" she said, a slow smile starting to cross her face as she held Elijah's hand tighter, "because I can't seem to control my feelings for you either."


	28. Chapter 28

"_Yes_!" Rebekah cried when the dice landed and Kol groaned in defeat as she leaned across the game board and moved her piece the allotted number of spaces past the two others on the colored path.

"_Oh,_ I think its official, 'Swirly'…" Kaspar announced, turning to Kol with smile, "'Gamma Nutt' is totally kicking your_ ass_!"

"Hey now!" Kol complained, picking up his game piece- a jovial man in a multicolored suit, top hat and cane- and pointing to it, "that's 'The _Duke_ of Swirl' to you!"

Meanwhile Rebekah clapped excitedly as she sat back against the foot of the couch.

"Only five more spots until I beat you _and_ 'Gloppy the Chocolate Monster', here," she sang pointing toward Kaspar, "to the Candy Castle!"

"At which point I'm going to take one of the candy canes from the Peppermint Forest and gouge my eyes out," Kol quipped, tossing his game piece flippantly into the center of the board

"Oh_, come off it_, Kol…" Rebekah sighed, quickly snatching up his game piece and putting it back onto its proper colored square, "You're _always_ such a sore loser—"

"Says the girl who is going to beat us all to the Candy Castle!" Kol chuckled, earning a playful swat on the arm from his sister.

Kol furrowed his brow at her, the smirked, turning and tugging on the braid that rested over her left shoulder in response.

"_Kol_!" Rebekah screeched, smacking him hard on the chest, to which he responded in kind by pinching her forearm, immediately igniting a slapping fight between them.

"Children…_children_!" Kaspar laughed, quickly reaching over the table and attempting to grab their flying hands as they kept swatting each other.

Suddenly, the parlor doors slid open and Klaus appeared in the threshold, followed by Misha

"What's going on _here?_" Klaus mused as he observed the scene unfolding before them

"Oh, just a good natured fight between 'The Duke of Swirl' and 'Gamma Nutt' over the future of the Candy Kingdom," Kaspar explained in a breathless voice as he continued to try and separate the two youngest Mikaelson siblings

"Perhaps, I spoke too soon about the whole 'cabin fever' thing…" Misha murmured, turning to Klaus

"Fine! That's _it_!" Kaspar finally shouted as he sat back and clasped his hands, as if in prayer, before quickly pulling them apart, sending a force across the table that immediately separated Kol and Rebekah, causing them to fall back hard onto the floor on opposite ends of the coffee table.

"Agh!" Rebekah moaned, bringing her hand to her mouth, and lisping, "Think I bit my tongue."

"Oh! Don't be such a _girl_, Rebekah… " Kol groaned, sitting up as he rubbed the back of his head

"You're the _girl_, you hair puller!" Rebekah shot back

Kaspar just rolled his eyes, then moved his gaze to Misha and Klaus as the siblings continued to argue in the background.

"So why the sudden trip back to Candy Land?" he asked, looking directly at Misha, "I thought you were done with us after the incident in the Gumdrop Mountains—"

"Well, we got a call," Misha said quickly, giving Kaspar a knowing look before speaking in code, "It seems the miracle worker finally found the Nag Hammadi gospels we've been waiting on."

"_Really_?" Kaspar replied, his eyes widening as he brought himself to his feet and kept playing along with the code talk, "That's _great_! What's the word?"

"Well, the 'word' is still in…_translation_…" Misha continued, his eyes shifting quickly to the bay window in the room, knowing that without the coin interference Dominic would be outside hearing every word they were saying, before moving it back to his brother, "_but,_ you might have been on the right track, from the beginning, about the gospels of _John_—"

"Yes," Klaus interjected, cocking his head, "As it turns out, _his_ gospels are _much _more interesting than we had originally thought."

"I see…" Kaspar replied, intrigued

Even Kol and Rebekah had stopped fighting and were now staring with both interest and mild confusion

"Like I said, the word is in translation, but in the meantime, the miracle worker revealed something that greatly interested me…" Misha added, narrowing his eyes, "particularly concerning John's sources and how he preached the word...and it is a suspicion that will mostly likely _not_ be found in the gospel…"

"So, what are you proposing?" Kaspar asked

"I want to try going directly to the source," Misha replied bluntly, "I saw John in death once, and I'm hoping I can do so again…"

"Ahh…" Kaspar mused, suddenly catching on, "Are you saying you want to go back to Biblical times?"

"Loaves, fishes, and all…" Misha nodded, "_but_, I'll need your help."

"You got it," Kaspar affirmed

"And I'll need a volunteer..." Misha smirked as he rubbed his hands together and scanned the faces of the vampires in the room.

"For_ what_?" Rebekah asked curiously

"To snap my neck."

# # # # # #

They sat in what felt like eternal silence before Elena broke the tension between them and sat up, studying the original with soft eyes.

"Elijah?" Elena prompted in a low voice, "Say something_….please…"_

But Elijah could only take in a breath, completely stunned.

_**The girl just declared that she can't control her feelings for you…**_he told himself** …S**_**peak, you fool!**_

Elijah opened his mouth to do just that, but suddenly, found himself speechless.

"Elijah?" she implored again and he immediately closed his eyes, to steady himself and come up with a rational thought…

But, again...nothing.

Was it really _all_ emotion when it came to Elena? Could he really not control his feelings when he was with her?

Well, he _had_ proven that more times than he could count…

Elijah sighed and opened his eyes again, only to be taken aback by the sight of Elena, now leaning forward on her hands and sliding closer until she was inches from his face.

She gave a nervous smirk, her eyes locking with Elijah's for a few seconds before she slowly leaned in and captured his lips with hers.

Elijah inhaled deeply as their connection instantly fired, setting his heart and his head at odds once more.

So much so, that he suddenly felt himself overwhelmed and pulled away before he could really return the kiss, retreating at vampire speed to stand at the end of the bed, leaving Elena staring at him breathless.

"What—what was that?" he asked, suddenly finding himself able to construct a sentence out loud

"Well, you weren't _saying_ anything…" Elena replied, brushing her hair nervously behind her ears, "So, I figured one of us should _do _something."

"That definitely was…_something_," Elijah replied with a raised eyebrow

"It always _was_…" Elena whispered, remembering the times they had kissed before

"Yes…" he said softly, his eyes instantly meeting hers, "but—"

"You're terrified," Elena answered, quickly looking down to her hands, "I remember…you told me…"

"Aren't _you_?" Elijah asked, assessing her

"_Of course_, I'm terrified, Elijah" Elena said, looking up again, "This—you and me—it could change _everything…_It _has_ changed everything. If I…"

She suddenly took a breath and closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head in disbelief as she trailed off, unable to finish her thought coherently.

"It's alright, Elena—"

"_No!"_ Elena suddenly cried, her voice rising in a mixture of anger and passion, shocking the original, "It's _not _alright!"

"Elena…" Elijah immediately consoled, stepping around the end of the bed

"It's _not_ alright, Elijah!" Elena shouted again, throwing her hands up in the air, "It's not alright! It's not alright! IT'S _NOT ALRIGHT!"_

Then as suddenly as she had exploded, Elena came down, breathing heavily as she pulled the blanket closer to her chest.

"Okay…" he said, confused as he moved to the side of the bed, unsure of where she was going with her outburst, but waning to be supportive, "We've firmly established that 'it's not alright'…"

"Well…_Good,_" Elena said breathlessly, swallowing hard as she brought her hand to her forehead, trying to calm herself

"So…help me out here," the original prompted, "What's 'not alright'?"

"That we dance…" Elena instantly replied, coming to her senses

Elijah narrowed his eyes in confusion.

He and Elena had danced before, yes, on many occasions and always with pleasant and, sometimes, _interesting _results.

"I don't—" he started, but Elena quickly continued as if she hadn't heard him

"Dancing has practically been our _entire_ relationship. We dance around _everything_. We dance around Damon and Stefan. We dance around our connection and what it _really_ means. We dance around the fact that it's been there practically since the day we've met and that we've kissed three times now and that you never seem to want to talk about it afterwards. We dance around the fact that you've admitted that you can't control your feelings for me, but, when I admit that I can't control mine either, you don't have _anything_ to say and, not only that, you act like you don't believe I could love you! And I'm _tired_ of it! I'm so _tired_ of dancing—"

"Elena…" Elijah started, but Elena held up a hand to silence him

"Do you love me?" Elena suddenly asked point blank

"_What_?" Elijah asked, taken aback by her bluntness

"Do…you…_love me_?" Elena stated slower, "You said it before, _ironically_ when we were dancing, but that's beside the point… did you mean it?"

"Of course I did, but_—_" Elijah pleaded, still trying to stay rational about the situation, but failing miserably, his head and his heart immediately starting their fight for top billing again.

"Good. Because, I think I'm in love with you, too." Elena blurted out

Silence instantly fell between them and Elijah stiffened, an expression of awe crossing his face before he automatically replied, his heart winning.

"You _think _or you _know?"_ The original asked, stepping closer

Damn it, if this was _really _happening…he had to know for sure.

She was right. He did find it hard to believe that she could have such uncontrollable feelings for him—let alone _love _him.

"I—I _know_…" Elena whispered, a small smile crossing her face, "I've known it for _a while, _actually—pretty much since the night we kissed in your apartment…"

They stared at each other for another moment before Elena continued, closing her eyes as she reasoned, "And _yes_, I _have _been preoccupied before… dodging death for three years straight, adjusting to life as a vampire, and thwarting the impending doom that seems to follow you and your siblings _everywhere_ you go…"

Elijah smirked at this and Elena raised an eyebrow

"Well, it's _true_," she added, then continued, "And of course, I've also been sorting out my feelings for Damon and Stefan—they _are_ important to me and I care so much about them. Stefan is sweet and kind. He saved my life and loving him…well, loving him made losing my parents bearable. In short, he made me feel glad to be alive when I really needed it the most. And Damon…" Elena took in a breath as she opened her eyes, "Damon is the bad boy—the one that can look right at you and set every nerve in your body on fire—the one who makes you feel alive. The one who's love completely consumes you until only ashes are left. And they want me to choose _between t_he two of them—the one that makes me _glad to be_ _alive_ and the one who makes me _feel alive_. And, you know, I never thought there was another choice…_until_ the night I turned."

"What do you mean?" Elijah asked cocking his head as he took a seat on the end of the bed

"I _mean_, that _you_ are the reason I turned, Elijah," she said, leaning forward and reaching across the middle of the bed, taking his hand in hers again as she slid toward him, "That night you were weak and vulnerable and Esther came to kill you…I kept having flashbacks of all the moments we shared together and all I could think about was the fact that I _couldn't lose you. _ And it was then that I realized that I had _another_ choice—another destiny. One that was right in front of me the entire time and that I had been denying for so long. You see, I could choose between Stefan and Damon—between the one who makes me glad to be alive and the one who makes me feel alive—or I could take Liliya's advice and choose door number three…"

Elijah held his breath as Elena suddenly moved closer, releasing her hand from his as she slowly brought it up to the side of his face and leaned in, resting her nose against his cheek as she slid her index finger down his jaw and over the top of his lip.

"The one who makes me want to live forever…" She whispered, "And that's _you_."


	29. Chapter 29

_**((Boy, some of you really like my music fics. Had a request recently to use one of the songs from the TVD finale. I chose "When I was Younger" by Liz Lawrence. I hope it works. Sorry, it's been a while since my last update. Enjoy))**_

When he heard his phone buzz on the bedside table for the second time in three hours, Damon finally opened his eyes and turning on his side, rolled across the bed to reach for it.

He sighed as he pulled it to his chest and saw, when the screen lit up, that he seven missed calls and two messages.

One was from Elena, who the call history showed had called him six out of the seven times, and the other was from Bonnie.

Closing his eyes, Damon swallowed as he sat up, brought the phone to his ear and listened to the recordings.

"Damon… it's Elena. Look, I know you're probably still upset with me for leaving like I did, but Elijah told me what's happening back home and I just…well, I _need_ to know everyone's alright. Call me back_…please_. I—I miss you…Damon…_both of you_. Just call me and let me know you're safe. Bye."

Damon bit his lip as he pulled the phone hard away from his ear and deleted the message, his nostrils flaring in grief and frustration.

What the hell would he tell her?

How could he tell her Stefan was dead?

He couldn't.

He wouldn't.

Not yet.

Taking a deep breath, he deleted Elena's message, then moved on to Bonnie's, bringing the phone back to his ear as the witch's sad voice came on the line.

"Damon…it's…Bonnie. Listen, I—I just found out about what happened…to Stefan. I can't imagine what you're going through right now, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you…Jeremy, too…we are both just _so sorry_, Damon. And there's more. Stefan…he came to me. He wanted me to tell you that he's alright, Damon, that he loves you and that he's not _ever_ letting go…that he'll always be with you. I—I know that probably makes you sad, Damon, but I hope that it also gives you comfort. You're brother loves you…he always did…through everything. And he's at peace now. I saw him crossover. I'll…talk to you later…bye."

Damon didn't even press end as he let the phone fall from his hand.

# # # # #

"Snap your neck? _Us? _"Kol mused, looking directly at the warlock, "You're mental."

"Misha, just _think_ about this for a tick…" Klaus said, stepping forward

"I _have,_" Misha replied then looked around the room, "Believe me. I'm not keen on dying again, but if it will help us get answers fast, it may be the only way…"

"But, you are a psychic, right?" Rebekah added, "You can bring anyone's spirit forth. So, bring _his_ here…" she emphasized to disguise Johnathan Gilbert's identity, knowing that Dominic was probably still listening to their conversation.

"That's just it, I _can't,"_ Misha answered, "There must _always_ be a balance, Bekah. He died a natural death and I can't channel spirits who have died a natural death. They can only appear to whom they choose, when allowed."

"You could try _summoning_ him…" Kol offered

"With what supplies?" Misha countered, with a smirk, "In case you've forgotten, we're still being held captive here, and I _seriously_ doubt that Dominic is going to let us run out to the 'Witch's Five and Dime' for a few things."

"Misha's right," Kaspar chimed in, "Only the dead can truly talk to the dead. It looks like sending him over to the other side is our best option right now."

"Well, I'm _not _helping…" Rebekah said sternly, crossing her arms over her chest, "It was quite enough to watch Misha die the first time around…"

"What if he doesn't have to?" Klaus suddenly whispered in thought

"Nik?" Kol asked, immediately cocking his head toward his brother with interest, causing the others to turn back toward the original as well.

"I said, 'what if you don't have to?'" Klaus repeated, raising his voice and stepping forward, "We already have someone who is dead—someone who could talk to _him _for us."

"And just who would that be?" Rebekah asked, taken aback

"Liliya," Klaus offered

"_What?"_ Kol scoffed

"She's appeared to you before, she could do so again-" Klaus immediately countered

"True," Misha replied, cocking his head curiously, "But, Liliya's spirit is at rest, Nik. I couldn't channel her. I've been able to summon her before, but she seems to appear only to those whom she chooses, _when_ she chooses. We'd have to wait for her to come to me again and that could take _awhile_."

"It seems she can really only be called by those with whom she has a strong connection," Kaspar added, "And lately, that's mainly been Elijah…who _isn't_ here—"

"I can do it," Klaus suddenly interjected

# # # # # #

_**When I was younger, I told my mother…  
I said one day I'm gonna make you proud.  
**_

Damon took a deep breath as he sat slowly down on the bed next to Stefan's lifeless body, studying his brother, still lying with his hands folded solemnly over his chest and his eyes covered with silver coins Klaus had placed there.

_**Now that I'm older, it's so much harder…  
To say those words out loud.  
**_

After a few moments, he gently lay down on bed in the empty spot next to Stefan, remembering his brother's message from Bonnie as he looked down to Stefan's clasped hands, then gently brought his own hand between them and slowly interlaced the fingers of his right hand with his Stefan's.

Damon closed his eyes, leaning his head on Stefan's shoulder, and letting memories of his younger brother instantly flood his mind as he let the grief, sadness and guilt finally wash over him and away.

_**You're growing taller…**_

The night Damon first saw little brother's face in the baby bed and offered him his fingers…

Every game of tag, when they ran like hellions through the house and father had to chase them outside…

Dinner table discussions that always ended in laughter and bread being thrown playfully at each other…

_**A little smarter…**_

Sitting and singing together at the piano…

Damon teaching Stefan how to play football on the front lawn…

Vying playfully for Katherine's affections…

_**And one day you're gonna leave home…**_

Stefan racing to Damon's side after he was shot by their Father while trying to rescue Katherine …

Stefan forcing him to drink from the compelled girl's neck…

Damon turning his back on Stefan that night in the mansion when he decided to leave him…

_**Oh, will you look like your mother's father?  
**_

Damon's return to Mystic Falls and surprising Stefan…

_**Oh, when you are fully grown…**_

Their new competition for Elena's affections…

But also every good and bad "brother bonding" moment they shared over the last three years on their long road back to each other.

# # # # # #

Klaus took in nervous, deep breaths as he sat down on the sofa, rolling his shoulders and neck to loosen his muscles and focus his concentration.

"Are you sure about this?" Rebekah remarked, looking to Misha as he re-entered the room with a large spiral notebook and a charcoal pencil in hand, then back toward her older brother, "He looks like he's going to pass out…or throw up…or something."

"He'll be fine," Misha said to Rebekah as he handed Klaus the paper and pencil and the original sat it on his lap, "Drawing is natural for him. It will be the best way for him to make contact."

He then knelt in front of Klaus and motioned for the vampire to look into his eyes.

Klaus complied and immediately felt a calming sensation come over him.

"Just, draw Liliya, Nik," he said in a soothing voice, his dark eyes meeting Klaus', "Like you remember her..._exactly_ as you remember her. Use your memories…let them bring her to you—"

"Uh…I don't know if that is such a good idea," Kol remarked from where he stood next to Rebekah, "There's _a lot_ of baggage attached to those memories."

"_He'll be fine_…" Misha re-iterated over his shoulder to the siblings

"Really?" Klaus chuckled nervously, twirling the pencil, "Because, as much as I hate to say it…Kol isn't exactly _wrong_. I mean, I _killed her_, Misha-"

Misha instantly turned back to face the original, his eyes softening.

"Just focus on _one good_ memory, Nik. That's all it takes. Remember that what makes your connection with Liliya is the _beginning_ of your relationship… not the end."

Klaus smiled weakly, then, with one last glance to the others, closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he brought pencil to paper and, after a moment's pause to gather his thoughts, started drawing blindly.

_**When I was younger, I asked my father…  
Why are we so human?  
**_

Instantly, Klaus opened his eyes inside his chosen memory.

He smirked when he realized he was twelve years-old, again, walking through the forest of his childhood under the glow of the afternoon sun.

And everything felt so real... from the sun's warmth, to the soft grass beneath his feet, to the soreness of his body from Mikael's wrath the day before when he proved to be nothing more than the disappointment he always was to his father.

Suddenly, he stopped when he saw Liliya's nine year-old form sitting alone on a large boulder overlooking the quarry.

Hearing his advancing footsteps, she immediately looked over her shoulder and upon seeing him, gave a warm, inviting smile.

"Oh…hello," she greeted in a cheerful voice, her dark eyes studying him

It was the day they had first met.

# # # # #

_**Now that I'm older, I think I've figured it out…  
We're just doing what we can.**_

Damon sniffed as he lifted his face and rested his chin on his brother's shoulder.

"I'm glad you're not letting go…" he whispered in Stefan's ear, "Good times or bad…I _never _did_, _either, and I want you to know that I never will," then he gave a sad smile as he closed his eyes, "God, I miss you, already, Stefan…I miss you _so much_."

# # # #

"Is he _okay?_" Rebekah whispered, stepping forward, when she saw the tears streaming down Klaus' face from his still closed eyes

Misha immediately grabbed her arm to stop her, "Just watch…"

Suddenly, Klaus opened his eyes and gasped, swallowing back the lump in his throat and looking down to his completed drawing, eying it for a moment before looking around, taking in the room.

He then brought his gaze back to Misha, Rebekah, Kol and Kaspar standing in front of him, taking in their stunned expressions as they seemed to look past him.

"What?..." Klaus mused in a confused voice, narrowing his eyes at them before quickly turning on the couch and following their gaze over his shoulder.

'_**Cause I won't, I won't lay you down…  
I won't lay you…**_

And there she was, standing behind him...It had worked.

"Liliya…" he whispered in awe and disbelief

_**I won't, I won't lay you down…**_

_**Oh, not now…**_

"Like it told you before…I'm _always_ with you, Nik," she said softly, a small smile crossing her face

# # # #

_**I won't, I won't lay you down…**_

_**I won't lay you…**_

"Here," Damon said softly, opening his eyes again, his lip trembling, fighting back tears as he pulled the picture of them together as young boys, the one he had carried all of those centuries in his cigarette case, out of his back pocket and place it into their entwining hands, "This is for you to take with you...just a little something to remember me by, okay?"

_**I won't, I won't lay you down…**_

Then Damon leaned forward and kissed his brother's cheek as he closed his brother's fist around the photograph.

"Bye, Stef," he said, his voice breaking, as he quickly pulled back and left the room with vampire speed, closing the door behind him.

As he leaned against the wood on the other side, he looked down to the end of the hallway where Zach had moved their Mother's portrait years before.

Now, Damon straightened as he looked into the dark green eyes of Lucianna Salvatore with new resolve.

_**When I was younger, I told my mother…  
I said one day I'm gonna make you proud.**_

Suddenly, he pushed himself off of the door and headed toward the staircase to find the others.

They had a hunter to kill.


	30. Chapter 30

_**((So sorry this is short and long awaited. We've had a death in the family and I haven't really had the inspiration to finish this chapter yet, so it's rather short. I thought I'd at least give you what I've got. Forgive me. I hope to be back to my ccreative self soon. Until then, enjoy this flashback. More to come.))**_

"Nik?" Liliya whispered, her face falling in confusion as she immediately sensed overwhelming emotion and frustration on the original's face as he continued to stare back at her in awe.

There was a pause as she stepped forward tentatively and reached a hand out to soothe him, but the gesture only caused Klaus to recoil.

"I—I.…can't…" he said softly, his voice shaking as he immediately broke eye contact with the original doppelganger and turned quickly on the couch to face Kol, Kaspar, Rebekah and Misha, "I'm sorry."

Then, with another glance back over his shoulder toward Liliya, he launched himself from where he sat and fled toward the door.

"Niklaus…" Kol urged, trying to reach out to his brother as he flew past him, but Klaus just brushed him off.

Kol immediately turned a worried gaze toward Rebekah and she immediately started after their brother.

"Nik, _wait!_" she called as she disappeared from the room, hot on his heels

"Well, this is turning out to be a _fabulous_ idea already…" Kol mused as he turned back toward the two warlocks

"He'll be fine." Kaspar reassured him, but Kol quickly interrupted

"He's never _been_ fine…" the original said to the warlock with sad eyes, then looked to Liliya, "Not when it comes to _her_."

"Niklaus has done his job…we can't worry about his feelings right now, " Misha suddenly added, his own eyes still focused on the original doppelganger standing behind the couch, "We have bigger fish to fry."

# # # # #

_1044 A.D._

_Lilya followed quickly behind as Hammer Lochvud helped an injured Klaus into his bedroom at the back of the Mikaelson home and removing the vampire's arm from around his neck, gently deposited Klaus on the bed, then quickly took his leave from the room. _

_"Rebekah will be back soon with medicinal leaves and bandages, but I'll need to clean the wound so it won't get infected—" the original doppelganger said softly as she sat down next to Niklaus, placing the bowl of water in her lap as she wrung out the wet cloth._

_ She then reached for the side of his shirt, but he immediately caught her hand to still it. _

_"No need to bother, Love," he smirked through the pain, still feeling the throbbing of the stab wound he had sustained earlier, "It will heal soon."_

_"But, infection—" Liliya protested as Klaus gently removed the wet cloth from her hand and tossed it aside on the bed _

_"Will not set in, " he finished, "I'm a vampire, remember? We don't get infections." _

_Liliya rolled her eyes then gave a defeated sigh before her eyes moved to her hand still resting in Klaus'._

_They sat in silence for a few moments, seeming to relish the touch of each other, before she slowly looked up into his ocean colored eyes, searching his face. _

_"Thank you…" she said softly, "for stepping in front of Luka's blade out there tonight …and saving me." _

_"Well, it was a life worth saving," Klaus said, looking down at their entwined hands as he brushed off her platitudes_

_"I mean it, Nik…" Liliya insisted, "After all that has happened over the last few years between you, me and Elijah… you could have just walked away and left me—"_

_"No, I couldn't…" Klaus interrupted, his face turning serious as he looked up again and met her gaze, "And for three very important reasons." _

_Liliya's face immediately filled with curiosity as the original continued _

_"First," he said, wincing through the pain as he turned his body to face her straight on, "You are human and I am not—" _

_"You have always been human to me …" Liliya quickly interjected, but her voice quieted when Klaus brought his free hand slowly up to the side of her face, stroking it gently he continued in a soft voice, ignoring her comments._

_ "Secondly, you are my best friend, Liliya. Since childhood, you have been the only person who has ever truly known me—the real me—and I couldn't live in a world where you don't exist." Klaus smirked sadly, then finished, "And third, and most importantly, I saved you because I love you, Liliya…and I probably always will … but, you already know that." _

_There was a moment of silence between them, before Liliya closed her eyes, letting her head fall into the palm of his hand as a tear streamed down her cheek_

_"I do…" she whispered, "And I'm sorry, Nik…I'm so sorry I couldn't—"_

_"Don't ever be sorry…not ever…I'm not," Klaus immediately replied, suddenly leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers, "I've already come to the realization that you could never love me as I love you—that Elijah is the one you've chosen—but, what I want you to know more than anything, is that I don't regret a single moment of our life together, Liliya…not meeting you, not being your friend, not taking a sword in the chest for you…" _

_Suddenly, Klaus straightened and turned his head slightly over his shoulder toward the open window in the room as he heard footsteps approaching the house and caught his brother's scent._

_"And certainly not letting you go to your destiny…to the one who was truly meant for you," he finished, his voice turning sad_

_"What?" Liliya opened her eyes and met his gaze head on as he turned back toward her_

_"Elijah's home…" Klaus acknowledged, rubbing his thumb gently over her cheek and wiping away the tear, "And you have to go…I have to let you go…for good, this time. No more games." _

_"Nik—" Liliya started, her face filled with conflicted emotion, but Klaus suddenly pulled his hand from the side of her face and brought his forefinger gently to her lips to silence her protest_

_"Just go, Liliya…" the vampire continued as he lowered his finger slowly from her lips, "You love him. You are betrothed to him and I can't keep living in the past when the future is now—your future is now—and it's better off without me, my presence and my interference." _

_Liliya just stared at him in silence for a few moments, before she suddenly felt herself shifting slowly toward him on the bed, as if pulled by gravity._

_"Well, then…" she finally said, looking up to him now, her dark eyes filled with sorrow, "before you let me go, will you permit me to do something—something I never got to do in all the years we've known each other? I think you've earned it…" _

_Klaus narrowed his eyes in curiosity, then nodded _

_Liliya gave an unsure smirk, then slowly leaned forward and captured his lips with hers. _

_Klaus was stunned by the bold action, but, after a few moments, came to his senses and returned the kiss, deepening it as she traced her fingers over the bottom of his jaw. _

_When they finally parted, breathless, Klaus felt her hand slip down the side of his neck and her hand come to rest on his chest over his heart._

_"Before I go, I want you to know that I don't regret anything either… and that I'll always be your friend…I'll always be with you, Nik…" she said softly then looked down to her hand on his chest, "In here."_

_"I know you will be…" Klaus answered, bringing his hand up to now rest over hers, leaning forward and speaking softly in her ear, "Just as I'm certain my wasted heart will love you forever."_

_Liliya tried to keep her face from crumbling at his words, giving only a sad smile before leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on his cheek, lingering for a few moments afterward as she whispered against his skin, "Forever... is very long time..." _

_Klaus closed his eyes at her words then felt her release herself from his grasp and her voice lingered in the air._

_"Good bye, Nik…"_

_After a few moments, Klaus opened his eyes and looked around the room, taking in the emptiness._

_He let out wince as he turned and lay himself, now wounded in more ways than one, down gently upon his bed and closing his eyes, forcing back the tears that were now trying in vain to force their way to the surface. _

_She was gone...and so was a part of him that he knew he could never replace. _

_He was right in telling her that his wasted heart would love her forever, for he was certain that from this day forward, he would never let love guide his actions again, only logic. _

_From this day forward, he would be alone._

_For she was the only one who had recognized the pain inside...the loneliness._

_And now that he had let her go, he was alone again._

_Sadly, it was the story of his life..._

_Always alone. _

_Always…and forever._


	31. Chapter 31

_**((Hey all. Thanks for waiting. I'm back! It's all coming back in spurts, so bear with me. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up in another day or two. Until then, Enjoy!))**_

"Jonathan Gilbert…" Liliya said in a low voice as she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration, "that's why you had Nik call me here? You wish me to contact him on the other side?"

"Yes," Misha acknowledged, now sitting down on the couch next to her, lowering his voice, as he was aware that his vampire hunter brother could be listening, "he was a supernatural inventor who once lived in Mystic Falls. We need his help to fight Dominic."

"I see…" Liliya replied, "Does he have any living kin?"

"Elena and her brother, Jeremy…" Misha continued in the low tone

"But, they aren't here…" Liliya realized

"No…" Misha answered, his curiosity suddenly peaked by her response, "Why?"

"Well, _I_'m not a witch, Misha. I wouldn't be able to locate, let alone make contact with Johnathan Gilbert's spirit, unless I have a strong connection with a being of shared bloodlines or even just someone with whom he had a deep, bonding, attachment—"

Suddenly, the parlor doors swung open and Damon Salvatore walked through, dressed, sober and much more coherent than the last time anyone saw him.

"Hey all…so...what did I miss? Something go down? Cause' Rebekah and Klaus just passed me in the hall and he looks like he's seen a ghost—"

Immediately, Damon stopped just a few feet inside the threshold as his eyes fell on the original doppelganger and the others watched as he cocked his head in a mixture of amusement and disbelief before finally being able to form a word…

Well, a name, really.

"K-Katherine?" he reasoned softly, raising an eyebrow as he studied her

Liliya sighed then turned to Misha.

"I really must meet this 'Katherine' one day," she said, "She must resemble me even more than Elena does, especially if everyone in Mystic Falls seems to think that I am her every time I appear—"

"Trust us," Kol interjected, "There may be a resemblance, but you are _nothing_ like her. Let's just say that she's something of a 'man eater'…and we'll leave it at that."

"Nicely put diabolical little brother," Damon pointed out with a smirk

"Thank you..." Kol acknowledged, "I thought it wrapped things up quite well."

"What is this 'man-eater' you speak of?" Liliya inquired innocently, looking around the room and Misha smirked as he turned back to face Damon, changing the subject.

"I don't believe you two have properly met," the warlock said, catching the older Salvatore's attention, "Damon, this is Liliya Petrova…the original doppelganger. And Liliya," he continued, turning back to the dark, Romanian beauty while gesturing a hand toward the older Salvatore brother, "This is Damon Salvatore."

Liliya smiled at him and Damon just about fell over.

He could have sworn with her dark, tight curls and piercing eyes, she was a dead-ringer for Katherine.  
But, there was something else about her that, if she had straighter hair and just a slightly lighter tone to her skin—a product of John Gilbert's DNA—would have passed her for Elena.

It was the kindness in her face…

And that smile…

His heart fluttered.

Damn Petrova Doppelgangers.

No wonder the Salvatore and Mikaelson brothers were doomed over the centuries.

Suddenly, Damon found himself wondering if _she_ was the cause of Klaus' apparent distress, but before he could think further on the subject, Misha's voice interrupted and pulled him out of his trance.

"Damon, Klaus called Liliya to us. She is going to try to contact Johnathan Gilbert for us. I have some questions for him regarding our friend outside."

"_But_, you're forgetting that I need a link," Liliya gently reminded him, "Someone to tie me to Johnathan Gilbert—"

"Well, if you remember," Kol interjected, lowering his own voice as his eyes connected with Misha's, "Elena's still off with Elijah and it's too dangerous to bring Jeremy here."

"Misha could do it," Kaspar stepped forward, looking from his brother to the original doppelganger, "He was Johnathan Gilbert's manservant for years…"

"We were _close_, yes," Misha confirmed, narrowing his eyes in thought as he looked down to his hands clasped in his lap, "But, I don't know if my connection would work—"

"You heard Liliya before, it doesn't necessarily _have_ to be DNA —" Kaspar protested

Suddenly, before his brother could finish, a realization came to him and Misha's head jerked up from where he had been looking down at his hands, immediately catching everyone's attention as they now followed the focus of his gaze…

"Damon," the warlock stated in a stern and reverent tone that caused the older Salvatore Brother to stop in his tracks less than a foot from the threshold of the doorway where he had been quietly trying to make his escape.

Damon let out a defeated sigh before turning back to face them all as they studied him, curiously.

All except Misha, who raised himself stoically from the couch and stealthily made his way across the room toward the vampire.

"Let me see your hands," Misha said in a low, commanding, tone as he approached

Damon opened his mouth for a moment to protest, but quickly stopped himself as he slowly brought his hands up from where they had been resting at his sides and held them out to the warlock as he came to stand in from of him.

Misha took in a deep breath to focus his energies, then raised a hand and waived it over Damon's open palms.

"Aperire secreta praeteritum…" he stated in clear Latin

Suddenly, everyone in the room gasped, except Misha and Damon, when the warlock's spell revealed Damon's hands stained crimson and dripping with human blood so real drops of it were falling onto the hardwood floor.

"What the Hell is going on?" Kol whispered, stunned and completely confused as he quickly shared a glance with Kaspar, who immediately stepped forward with a look of awe.

"It's Johnathan Gilbert's blood…" the second warlock observed aloud, "Albiet, it's over two hundred years old, but blood is blood. Damon's marked—"

"It's him," Liliya said with a small smile, raising herself up from the couch now and stepping forward, "He's our link."

"_What?"_ Kol gasped, looking even more confused as his eyes darted around the room, then fell on the warlock and the vampire near the doorway, now staring at each other in silence, "How? _What? _How?"

"I'd-I'd forgotten…" Misha finally spoke in a breathless voice, his eyes now locked with Damon's

"I haven't…" Damon replied, his nostrils flaring as he looked down to the blood of Elena's great-great-uncle now revealed on his hands, "I never will. And it wasn't the first time. I owed him."

Misha narrowed his eyes in confusion for a moment before taking another step toward the vampire.

"May I?" the warlock asked as he tentatively raised his right hand up toward the side of Damon's head, letting it hang there in mid-air as Damon sucked in a breath, then lifted his head and slowly nodded his consent, seeming to know Misha's intent.

Misha gently laid his first three fingertips on the side of Damon's face and rode the connection that suddenly flared between their minds, his body jolting as he filtered Damon's memories of Johnathan Gilbert from centuries before and they flashed quickly before him.

After a few seconds that felt like eons, Misha finally pulled his hand back and gasped, Damon's emotions from his memories having flooded consequently into his consciousness.

"Oh…my…God…" Misha swallowed, trying to catch his breath and keep the tears from welling up in his eyes as he willed himself to control Damon's overwhelming emotions inside him, "You knew him...but it's more than that...he cared for you and you also felt for him...so much so that you saved him…_twice_."

Damon closed his eyes as he nodded again, lowering his still blood-stained hands.

"Like I said…" he replied, trying to keep his voice even and his face emotionless, "I owed him."

# # # # # # #

"Nik…" Rebekah called in a soothing voice as she followed her brother down the front hall and into the kitchen, where she now saw the older Original pacing between the island in the center of the room and the breakfast nook like a caged animal, breathing erratically and running his hands through his hair as his pale skin flushed with anger, grief, and uncertainty.

"Niklaus?" Rebekah whispered, now standing in the threshold as she watched her brother move aimlessly about the room, helpless and unsure what she could do.

Finally after a few moments, Klaus sucked in a deep breath and stopped pacing, suddenly turning back from where he now stood in the center of the room to face her.

Rebekah took in a frightened breath as she beheld the wild look in her brother's eyes, but he didn't move to harm her or unleash his frustration on her like she thought he would.

Instead, she watched as, suddenly, the wild, angry and frustrated look on her brother's face melted away and she beheld something she hadn't seen in over a thousand years.

Niklaus.

Her _human_ brother, Niklaus…

His true face…

His sweet, kind, vulnerable face…

The face she had beheld every day before they became vampires.

"Rebekah…" Klaus gasped, quickly losing control of his emotions as his face filled with grief and sadness, "Bekah…"

Suddenly, she found herself moving at vampire speed toward him, taking his face gently in her hands as she stared into the depth of his deep sea blue eyes, now brimming with tears.

"It's okay…" she whispered against his skin as she brought his forehead down to her lips and kissed it, then pulled him into an embrace, "I'm here. You're okay…"

"I _loved _her, Bekah_…_" he sobbed non-sensically, a thousand years worth of pain finally come to the surface as he buried his face into his sister's shoulder, "and I let her go…I had to let her go..."

"I know," Rebekah said softly, her heart breaking as she clutched her older brother closer, stroking the back of his hair.

"I killed her…" Klaus sobbed harder as his knees buckled and he brought his sister down onto the kitchen tile with him, "I loved her and I_ killed_ her…I _killed_ her…"

Rebekah closed her eyes as she sat back and pulled Klaus further into her arms, kissing his temple as she whispered, "It's okay…that was centuries ago…it's over now. I'm here…you're okay…it's over."

Suddenly, she heard a low gasp and felt Klaus slowly lift up his head from where he had buried it between her neck and her collarbone.

With one hand, he wiped the wetness from under his eyes and over the bridge of his nose as his gaze focused intently on her, then reached out with same hand and stroked her cheek lovingly, smirking with suppressed emotion as Rebekah reached up and clasped her hand firmly around his in support.

"No…" he whispered, trying to keep his voice even and his face placid, but Rebekah could see his lip visibly tremble as he formed the words, "It's _never_ over…not for me. Don't you see? Being a hybrid wasn't my curse. The shame, the guilt, the unrequited love that still burns in my heart for her…_that_ is my _true_ curse, sister…it always was."

# # # # # # #

"Damn…" Elijah whispered as he pulled is phone from his ear, his sister's voice on her voice mail floating in the distance before he hit the end button his phone.

"Bad news?" Vivienne inquired as she came to stand at his side on the back veranda

"Not necessarily…just _no_ news," Elijah replied, then sighed as he shoved his phone back into his jean pocket, then turned his gaze toward his elderly housekeeper, "been that way for two days."

"And you're worried…" Vivienne stated

"Of course I'm _worried_," Elijah said, "My best friend, his brother, Damon Salvatore and my siblings are trapped in a house by my old, thought to be dead apprentice who is also a demonically possessed vampire hunter. We are at an impass. _They_ are trying to figure out what to do..._I_ have_ no idea_ what to do...and no one is calling me _or_ Elena _or_ answering their phone...right now,'worried' is an understatement."

"Can I do something to help?" Vivienne asked, placing a hand on his shoulder

"No…it's alright," Elijah said, giving her a sad smile, "I just wish I'd heard something by now and that I wasn't so distracted by…_other things_…so that I could be of more use to them."

"By 'other things', you mean, Elena?" Vivienne inquired

Elijah nodded, "I do love her, Vivienne, and now that I know that she feels the same way, I just wish that we could leave…_go somewhere_…away from Mystic Falls and all my family drama and just leave this all behind and…"

"And… _what?_" Vivienne asked playfully

"Oh, get your mind out of the gutter…" Elijah scoffed with a smile as he leaned back on the railing and crossed his arms over his chest

"I'm French, my darling…" Vivienne responded with a rueful smile of her own as she took a seat on the railing next to him, "My mind is always ze gutter."

Elijah chuckled in response, then let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes as he hung his head.

"I just meant that I wish Elena and I could have time to get to know each other...travel... have fun…"

"Isn't that what you two are doing now?" Vivienne interjected, "Even in the midst of all the chaos?"

Elijah lifted his head and narrowed his eyes as his gaze shifted back to her

"I never thought of it like that…" he mused, then cocked his head in amusement, "Vampire lessons, unbearable tension and life and death drama aside, I suppose we are."

"Mmm…hmmm…" Vivenne cooed, giving the vampire a playful smack on the arm

"What?" Elijah scoffed, unfolding his arms

"Nothing…" she replied, "It's just nice to see you happy, that's all. Even if it's in the midst of chaos..."

"And impending doom," Elijah added with a sigh, "Don't forget the impeding doom."

"Oh, sorry," Vivienne smirked, "Of course. It wouldn't be _your_ siblings if there wasn't 'impending doom'."

"Yep. That _never_ seems to change," Elijah replied

Then a moment of silence fell between them before Elijah spoke

"_Am _I happy?" the original suddenly asked, somewhat in disbelief

"I think you are… I can certainly tell that you are different when you are with...more engaging and more open..." Vivienne beamed as she slid closer to Elijah on the rail and took one of his cheeks in her fingers, giving it a playful pinch, "I'm so proud of my little vampire."

"Ah…stop…" Elijah laughed, pulling out of her grasp and pushing off the railing

"Where are you going?" Vivienne inquired

"To check on Elena," he responded as he started to make his way toward the back door into the house, "She made me promise to call the others and see where things stood. Guess I'll have to deliver the bad news...and maybe a blood bag or two."

"Well, if she keeps it down, let me know and I'll get started on dinner for you two while I'm here," Vivienne said as she moved down off the banister and straightened her dress, then smiled as she watched Elijah cross over the threshold and teased, "But, in the meantime, have_ fun...checking _on Elena_…_"

"Ugh! Not when you make it sound all dirty like that!" the original cried from inside the house.


	32. Chapter 32

The room fell silent and all pairs of eyes in it focused on Damon Salvatore as he tentatively took a drink of the whiskey in his hand, then sat down the on the piano bench, twirling the glass tumbler nervously on his knee.

"I knew Jonathan Gilbert, more _intimately_ than I let on before. He wasn't just some crackpot inventor who lived in our town, he was a kind, generous, and intelligent man-"

"Where you two….well, _you know_…" Kol asked with a raised eyebrow

"_No,_" Damon smirked, shaking his head, "Nothing like that. I had known Jonathan Gilbert since I was a boy, after my mother died. And to make a long story short, he was there for me so many times throughout my life when my own father _wasn't. _He was a quiet benefactor and good friend to me."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Kaspar asked as he took a seat on the couch next to Liliya

"Because I like to keep some aspects of my human life a secret…_because, _I don't like to remember something when I've missed it for so long…" Damon answered bluntly, emotion quickly emerging in his eyes, "_and because_ I didn't believe that anything I knew about Jonathan Gilbert would have been any use to you at the time. The only thing I knew about his work was the fantastical drawings I would see him working on when I was a boy and later, as a young man, when I asked, he would only tell me that he was working on instruments to help the Confederate Army in Atlanta—"

"When was this?" Misha suddenly asked, sitting forward in a nearby chair

"I don't know…a—around 1863?" Damon replied, taking another drink

Kaspar and Misha quickly exchanged glances

"The vampire plague started in Atlanta around that time," Kaspar whispered

"Katerina…" Misha nodded knowingly and his younger brother raised an eyebrow in agreement

"Wait…" Kol interjected, "What does this have to do with Katerina?"

"Katherine arrived in Mystic Falls around 1864, a year after the outbreak of a vampire plague that originated in New Orleans spread up through the south, claiming to be an orphan from the Battle of Atlanta," Misha explained, "I had been living in New Orleans, keeping up Elijah's business interests there, when I came across Katherine in French Quarter. I sent word to Elijah and he asked me to keep a distant eye on her…so I did. I followed her and her friend, Pearl to Mystic Falls and obtained employment. I always thought she was there because of the Salvatore brothers, but now, I wonder…"

"That maybe she knew about Johnathan Gilbert?" Kaspar suddenly realized, "And his inventions. They had to have been used against her in Atlanta by soldiers there. She must have made her way to Mystic Falls to find out what else he had up his sleeve…but, if that was the case, why didn't she just kill him right when she arrived in town and take the inventions?"

"Because her friend Pearl had fallen in love with him," Misha replied, rubbing his hands together, remembering the evenings he saw his employer leave home to court the beautiful Asian woman who worked at the Mystic Falls General Store, "And because, Katherine probably sensed that Johnathan Gilbert was already dying."

# # # # # # #

Jeremy sighed and stood from where he had been sitting in the center of the mass of Gilbert journals sprawled out around him on the kitchen table, pulling his vibrating phone out of the back pocket of his cargo pants with his free hand to see his sister's name flash through the gorilla glass.

It was the second time she had called in the last hour.

He didn't like ignoring her calls, but maybe Misha was right. She was better off where she was and _definitely_ better off _not_ knowing what was going on in Mystic Falls, until it was absolutely necessary.

Jeremy reluctantly hit silent as Bonnie appeared and hurriedly descended the back stairs into the Bennett kitchen and came to meet him where he stood.

They had decided to "divide and conquer" over an two hours ago and she had disappeared upstairs to do her own research through spell books and Emily Bennett's grimoir.

"Find anything?" Jeremy asked hopefully as he slipped the phone back into his pocket

"Oh, yeah…" Bonnie replied as she took a seat at the kitchen table and opened the grimoir on the table as Jeremy quickly retook his seat next to her, moving journals out of the way as he leaned forward and watched Bonnie flip quickly to the back of the book and, to his amazement and amusement, began peeling the last twenty or thirty pages apart, revealing paper hidden behind the already installed pages

"These are journal entries—a historical record made by Emily of the year vampires came to Mystic Falls," she added, seeming to answer his silent question as she continued to pull apart pages and pile them on the table in front of him.

"Amazing…" Jeremy mused as he leafed through the pile

"Witches were clever. Gran said that they would hide pages behind pages to keep spells and other information and communications they didn't want falling into the wrong hands, secret. Now, most of these entries look like they are about her day-to-day life in Mystic Falls, but as I kept reading, I found the entries concerning Johnathan Gilbert and his inventions—"

"Anything helpful about the compass and our vampire hunter?" Jeremy inquired

"Honestly, I didn't get that far…the first entry stopped me dead in my tracks," Bonnie admitted as she handed him the last stack of fifteen pages, pulling one out of the center and placing it on the top, "Here. You need to see_ this_."

Jeremy quickly skimmed the page with his eyes, suddenly stopping as they widened, then narrowed as he kept reading until he reached the bottom.

Finally, in a stunned voice, he began reading aloud, "May 13, 1863—'Today, Jonathan Gilbert came to me again, this time demanding to know my ancestral heritage and how I may be aligned through blood to a witch named Ayanna, who he claimed once lived in the area that is now our town of Mystic Falls. He then rambled on for some considerable time about supernatural beings, who he also claimed once thrived in the area, and wishing to know if I was aware of the existence of such beings and insisting that I help him. In doing so, he reiterated that this witch who came before knew how to conquer such beasts and, as her kin, I was also endowed with such powers. It was then that he also informed me that, per the U.S. military under General Hobalt in Atlanta and General Jackson in New Orleans, he he had been working on devices that would single out such unnatural beings, but needed my assistance to make them truly work. My services would be exchanged in return for his discretion concerning my witchcraft lineage. When I discredited such notions of witchcraft and went even further to ask as to what supernatural beings to whom he may be referring and what gave him credence to make mention of such things, he confided in me that he had seen them in visions—visions that showed the beginnings of the first vampires and werewolves on this land in another time and place—of a village ...and a family with seven children… and a large white oak tree wreathed in flames…'"

# # # # # #

"Johnathan Gilbert was dying?" Kaspar whispered, confused

Misha opened his mouth to answer, but found himself too overwhelmed by emotion to answer.

He could only cast his eyes over to Damon for an explanation.

The vampire took in a breath then downed the rest of his drink before setting it hard on the piano top behind him.

"Yes," Damon choked out, "He was terminally ill in 1864 and had been for some time. Not many people knew—"

"But you two did," Kaspar interjected, looking from the vampire to his brother

"I was his manservant," Misha finally managed to speak up, "I tended him every day—laid out his clothes, prepared his meals—and I also administered his medications. None of them worked, of course—none of them cured what _truly _ailed him, but they did keep him calm and out of pain. He didn't wish for anyone to know the true nature of his condition. Back then, it could have landed him in the madhouse."

"What exactly was wrong with him?" Kol asked

"The first time I saw it, I was nineteen," Damon suddenly spoke up, "He was out riding and had come upon me walking through Harper's Woods with my fishing pole on the way to the quarry. He rode beside me for some time, just conversing. He asked me about Stefan, if I had read the books he had given me, and whether I was going to take the scholarship to Yale that I had been offered," Damon smiled in fond remembrance, then the smile faded, "Then, suddenly, he went silent and fell from his horse onto the ground, convulsing wildly. He stayed like that for several moments before he finally came to…and he, looked _different…_his face was pale and his eyes were dark like he was in a other space and time..." Damon paused for a moment, then continued, "The first time I ever heard mention of vampires was from Johnathan Gilbert's lips that day, when he pulled me down to him and whispered in my ear, 'there is a vampire behind you. A boy…' Then he passed out."

"Where were you?" Kol immediately asked, his eyes narrowing with interest, "Where was this Harper's Woods exactly?"

"Um…about a three miles outside of town," Damon said, bringing his thoughts back to the present, "near the cliff face by quarry…there was a crossroad with a stone marker and a tree—"

"He saw Henrik," Kol whispered in stunned awe, "A centuries after he died. That's where he was buried…at the crossroads."

"So Johnathan Gilbert was epileptic…" Kaspar breathed, "And more than that...a psychic epileptic."


End file.
